Re: [BLACKBOX] BlackBox 1.6 final version - COMPLEX datatypes?

From: [at]} <Chris>
Date: Mon, 29 Jun 2009 13:13:19 +0930

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>-----Original Message-----
>From: BlackBox [mailto:BLACKBOX{([at]})nowhere.xy
>Marc Martin
>Sent: Monday, 29 June 2009 1:36 AM
>To: BLACKBOX{([at]})nowhere.xy
>Subject: Re: [BLACKBOX] BlackBox 1.6 final version?
>
>> I have a question: is there any chance that COMPLEX datatypes, as
>> discussed in the Oakwood Guidelines for Oberon-2, would be
>implemented
>> in BlackBox?
>
>I do mathematical programming, and it's always seemed fine to
>me that complex numbers can be defined by the user with RECORD
>types. Although if you want to use operators with complex
>types, perhaps you really should be asking for the ability to
>define operators? Some languages allow you to do this,
>including Zonnon, which seems to be Oberon/Modula-2/Pascal
>*without* the "keep it simple" philosophy.
>

Good point. It would make sense to consider implementing user-defined
operators as a way of supporting COMPLEX. The user would then have the added
advantage of being able to implement other common mathematical operations
(e.g. matrix multiplication).

The only disadvantages of this approach that I can think of are:

a) Code generated could be less efficient than if COMPLEX was a native data
type recognised by the compiler.

b) A 'clever' programmer could invent some 'weird and wonderful' uses
resulting in obscure / unmaintainable code.

User-defined operators have also been part of the "keep it simple" ETH
Oberon for some time now. They were originally defined as part of the
Oberon-X system in 2000.

http://www-old.oberon.ethz.ch/native/compiler/x.operators.html

Particularly interesting is that the link above also references the source
code of an implementation of Complex arithmetic using user-defined
operators. This was written by Alan Freed, the Oberon maths 'guru':

http://www-old.oberon.ethz.ch/native/compiler/examples/complex.txt

However, you don't need Oberon-X to try them out as these extensions have
also been available in the standard ETH Native Oberon System since release
2.2.3. The Windows plug-in version can be downloaded from:

http://www.oberon.ethz.ch/archives/systemsarchive/windows

Regards,
Chris Burrows

CFB Software
Armaide v2.0: ARM Oberon-07 Development System
http://www.cfbsoftware.com/armaide

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Received on Mon Jun 29 2009 - 05:43:19 UTC