[Info-vax] VMS process communication

[Arne Vajhøj]

On 3/14/2023 1:37 PM, Dave Froble wrote:
> On 3/14/2023 9:08 AM, Simon Clubley wrote:
>> On 2023-03-13, Dave Froble <davef at tsoft-inc.com> wrote:
>>> The way most/all people consider math, numbers can be either positive or
>>> negative.  Yes, "natural".  Computer languages were developed using this
>>> concept.  While unsigned numbers are useful, they aren't something 
>>> people
>>> normally consider.
>>
>> Much of the time you don't need signed integers and the problem you are
>> trying to solve is a better match with unsigned integers.
>>
>> Let me put it this way: How many filesystems and file sizes and other
>> limits through computing history are half the maximum size they should
>> be because everyone used signed integers instead of unsigned integers ?

When it involves data size and the demand grow x2 every 2 years or so,
then that extra bit will not save they day for long.

> Understand, I think unsigned numbers would be very useful.  I wish Basic 
> support such.

I miss them in Java as well.

>               But my point is, they are not so "natural" to humans, and 
> after all, humans are the users of computers.  So development followed 
> what people do.

If you stop 100 random people on the street and ask about integers, then
99 will include negative numbers, that is the common definition in
math/english/danish/whatever.

Those that remember their math will remember the term natural
numbers to exclude negative numbers.

Arne