Re: [GNU-COBOL] Math L:ibrary Incremental approach

["Chad Slaughter" <slaught@umr.edu>]

Glen Colbert wrote :>

Chad :>
>>Software is best developed incrementally . And as brook's said you are
>going to
>>write it twice so plan for it. This is the first iteration of the math
>>library. We plan to get it working, adn had the math semantics first,
>>then address the memory problem later.

>One of the points that I am trying to make here is that the purpose for the
>math library is to manipulate the memory - not to perform the math (in fact,
>this is the principal purpose of Cobol - memory manipulation).  In Cobol,

yes, I understand this. 

>the math takes place on the memory as it is defined in Working Storage.
>Defining the math and then trying to fit it to the memory is where past
>implementations have failed.

ok, let me clarify. This weekend I realized there may be problmes
call what fischer is doing the "math library" and I see that I was right. =)

A better name would be: "Cobol Number" object.
A set of data structures and functions that impliment the runtime semantics
of a COBOL number in C. including but not limited to operations, truncation,
rounding, and memory usuage.


>As much as I like Cobol, I will be the first to admit that Cobol math is
>bizarre.  Intermediate storage areas are defined in the format of the

Yes, I understand all that, and am well aware of these issues.

>We need to do what we can to write the libraries using Cobol memory types
>and bit level arithmetic.  I sure hate to see Matt invest the time and
>effort to do it twice.  Actually, there is a lot more to be learned by

well, Matt is going to write it twice. I stand by the eariler quote. 
I feel any other course of action is more wastful then just planning
to do it twice. While this may seem like reduntent work; it is the best way 
to insure a quality end product.

later,
-- 
Chad Slaughter  -- slaught at umr.edu
<PGP public key available upon request>

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