Re: uint64 typecast can't be initialised with more than 15 decimal positions

[Jordi Gutiérrez Hermoso]

On 4 March 2013 11:23, Yury T. <address@hidden> wrote:
> First thing, such limitations aren't meant to be found in FAQ, but in manual
> (which I tried beforehand). Plot window disappearing too fast -- FAQ
> materiel; uint64 initialisation -- not FAQ materiel.

Sure, moving material from the FAQ to the manual is fine, with the FAQ
pointing to the manual is good. Do you have a suggestion on how to
reword the manual?

> The quoted FAQ section contains info on integers, floating point precision
> and symbolic computation, all bunched up together. This is wrong.

No, it's all about more precision, which is indeed a FAQ.

> Also, talking about integers presupposes talking about *limits, not
> precision* -- how big are the integer numbers you can use with the help of
> data types: uint32, uint64 etc.

That is precision:

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Precision_%28computer_science%29

> If uint64() works by converting its input somehow through the IEEE floats
> (16 positions after the decimal point), than it is doing it wrong, anyway.

I suppose the FAQ entry isn't clear. The problem isn't uint64, but
that the Octave and Matlab languages don't have integer literals. Any
numerical literal is first read by the interpreter as a double. With
JITC, sometimes you can optimise this and guess the type, but this is
just a transparent optimisation. The semantics of the language do not
allow integer literals.

> Is the FAQ really a place for the ads?

Sure, why not? If you dislike it, remove it. It's a wiki.

- Jordi G. H.