>>>>> "Stavros" == Stavros Macrakis writes:
Stavros> The key point here is "human-readable syntax". Ordinary 2d display in Maxima
Stavros> has no reason to use re-readable numbers, since there is no reader for that
Stavros> form! Where this matters is in file printing either in Lisp format or in
Stavros> string format (e.g. string(1.0/3)).
Yes that's certainly true, but it is useful to be able to cut and
paste some floating-point number produced in some hairy 2D display and
use it later.
Stavros> fpprec is controlling many quite different things, and needs to be
Stavros> rethought. Even in the case of bfloats, it isn't quite the right thing. Just
Stavros> because you're calculating to 30 decimal figures doesn't mean you want to
Yes. We should rethink this. And perhaps follow what Macsyma does.
Stavros> see 30 decimal figures. And even bfloat doesn't have a decimal output form
Stavros> which guarantees re-readability (though of course the internal Lisp form
Stavros> works....)
What do you mean when you say bfloat doesn't have a decimal output
form that guarantees re-readibility?
Ray