Fixed-Point Decimal Interface

From: Bill Seymour (bsey_at_[hidden])
Date: 2001-05-10 11:57:03

My suggestion for a fixed-point decimal type generated
a flurry of responses, so I've uploaded a pseudo-header,
decimal.hpp, that describes what I would consider to be
a minimal public interface for such a type.  I'd like
to get the interface perfected before I start worrying
too much about the implementation; so maybe we can use
this file as a starting point for further discussions.

One discussion I'd like to have is about the type of the
result of arithmetic operations.  Using multiplication
as an example:

  template<int Scale1, int Scale2>
  decimal<???>
  operator*(const decimal<Scale1>&, const decimal<Scale2>&);

should ??? be Scale1 (as I have it now) or Scale1 + Scale2?
I see this as a very knotty problem, and I'd like to hear
what other Boosters think.

--Bill Seymour