Re: [boost] RFC: Multiprecision arithmetic library

Subject: Re: [boost] RFC: Multiprecision arithmetic library
From: Simonson, Lucanus J (lucanus.j.simonson_at_[hidden])
Date: 2011-12-27 13:45:28

>I've also run into the need of decimal base representations for applications in the financial sector, and remember this proposal: 
>
>http://www.open-std.org/jtc1/sc22/wg21/docs/papers/2006/n1977.html

I can think of very little application for a generic numeric type with arbitrary base.  Base 2 and base 10 are the two useful bases, with base 10 being applicable to finance and base 2 for everything else.  I think it makes sense for them to be two different libraries.  There have been attempts to standardize a base 10 numerical data type in C++ going all the way back to the days when we thought the hardware natively support base 10 arithmetic.  A base 10 numerical datatype in boost would be in the category of library targeting standardization.  It is probably best that it be minimally coupled to other boost libraries and implemented by people proposing base 10 standard library extension.

Regards,
Luke