[Info-vax] Roadmap

[John Reagan]

On Monday, January 7, 2019 at 8:17:55 AM UTC-5, Simon Clubley wrote:
> On 2019-01-06, Dave Froble <davef at tsoft-inc.com> wrote:
> > On 1/6/2019 7:57 PM, Simon Clubley wrote:
> >> On 2019-01-06, Dave Froble <davef at tsoft-inc.com> wrote:
> >>>
> >>> Pick only one of two, performance or accuracy ....
> >>>
> >>
> >> Does VMS Basic support fixed point ?
> >>
> >> (I've never used VMS Basic, so I don't know the answer).
> >>
> >
> > Please define "fixed-point".
> >
> > DECIMAL is supported.
> >
> 
> In this case that is the answer because I was looking to see if
> VMS Basic had a way to store non-integer values without having to
> use an approximation for the value so, with the decimal data type
> support, the answer is yes.
> 
> Simon.
> 
> -- 
> Simon Clubley, clubley at remove_me.eisner.decus.org-Earth.UFP
> Microsoft: Bringing you 1980s technology to a 21st century world

Yes.  Floating in BASIC is in the minority vs DECIMAL.  You see the same thing in COBOL where you have to out of your way to get true floating vs packed decimal.

I'm still shocked that we didn't seem to get this right since we had official language-wide meetings to discuss things like this, aligned record layouts, etc. when we all ported from our VAX-specific backends to GEM Alpha.  And that it has taken this long for me to spot it.  I'm afraid to look more.... :)