[Info-vax] Off-topic: NASDAQ

[Arne Vajhøj]

On 5/8/2021 1:19 PM, Hans Bachner wrote:
> Arne Vajhøj schrieb am 08.05.2021 um 03:45:
>> On 5/7/2021 9:07 PM, abrsvc wrote:
>>> On Friday, 7 May 2021 at 16:20:16 UTC-4, Arne Vajhøj wrote:
>>>> Is NASDAQ still using NonStop?
>>>>
>>>> Their IT got in the news today:
>>>>
>>>> https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/news/warren-buffett-broke-nasdaq-system-is-unable-to-record-high-berkshire-hathaway-share-price/ar-BB1gqX4w 

>> <quote>
>> This is explained because its algorithm saves stock prices as a 32-bit 
>> number, which takes up less memory and makes the software more efficient.
>>
>> In this format, the highest possible number is 2 ^ 32 -1, or 
>> 4,294,967,295, according to Gizmondo . But since Nasdaq records prices 
>> to four decimal places, the largest figure it can store is the one 
>> quoted.
>> </quote>
>>
>> There are plenty of solutions. Even a 64 bit integer would have done it.
> 
> I assume the core NASDAQ application was written before 64-bit integers 
> were commonly around.

Maybe.

But even though 64 bit integers could be a bit tricky in the 32
bit world, then it was not impossible.

On VMS VAX then ADWC and SBWC plus some known COB$ routines
could do the basic stuff with rather few lines of code.

Of course I have no idea what was available on Tandem before
they went to 64 bit CPU's in the mid 90's.

Arne