Integers and other numbers [was Re: dlw_int review]

From: Beman Dawes (bdawes_at_[hidden])
Date: 2001-09-27 10:48:43

At 01:22 AM 9/27/2001, Daryle Walker wrote:

 >on 9/27/01 3:21 AM, Eric Ford at eford_at_[hidden] wrote:
 >
 >> The only substantive suggestion...  If I wanted to tell integer.hpp
 >> that I have one or more "big_int" types that can hold larger numbers,
 >> I beleive I'd have to replace code a fair bit of code.  It might be
 >> nice to allow integer.hpp to be used with additional types provided by
 >> the user.  I haven't worked out the details, but I wonder if a
 >> linked-list or tuple template parameter (with default template
 >> parameter provided to function as is) could allow for this.
 >
 >You have to find the original designers, but I think <boost/integer.hpp> 
is
 >only meant for the built-in integer types.

That's correct.  Note the 1999 copyright date.  integer.hpp was done early 
in the Boost effort when we had a much smaller number of members.  I don't 
remember any "big_int" discussion.

I also think that for many applications, the types found in 
<boost/cstdint.hpp> are a better choice.

It would be nice if someone (or several people) with a strong numerics 
background could write a "big picture" roadmap that fits a bunch of 
numerical type together into a coherent plan.  The ones in the C++ 
standard, the C standard, and Boost as it stands today, but also with slots 
open for big integers, fixed point types, and other possibilities.

--Beman