[Newbies] is 0.1 a Float or a ScaledDecimal ?

cdrick cdrick65 at gmail.com
Wed Feb 20 10:31:28 UTC 2008


I have another interrogation. Please take it as a student/newbie
whatever question.

I think 0.1 should be considered as a ScaledDecimal so that we could
write 0.1 asFraction and have 1/10...

To achieve that, there is a method that the Parser call...
Number class >> readFrom: aStream
which call:
Number class>>readRemainderOf: integerPart from: aStream base: base
withSign: sign
which call:
Number class>>readScaledDecimal: integerPart fractionPart:
fractionPart digits: fractionDigits base: base sign: sign from:
aStream ...

What's interesting as a newbie perspective is the way I found these
interesting methods...
- only debug "0.1 asFraction" doesn't help, because it's hapening at
"parse time"...
I could have searched for selector containing "scaleddecimal" with
cmd+shift+w but I did not...
- Instead, as I knew it was related to Parser or Scanner, I looked in
these class, then find Scanner scan: aStream. So I did:
Scanner new scan: ('0.0123' readStream). "and the debut it"

What these methods say is basically:
0.1234 evaluate as a Float
and 0.1234s4 evaluated as a scaled decimal (because of s).

IMvHO, I think at least decimal up to say scale 4 should be a scaled decimal...

What do you think ?
I have no idea of performance concerns... so I'll be pleased to have
any knowledgeable insights :)

Thanks a lot

Cédrick


More information about the Beginners mailing list