path: root/doc/dc.info

This is dc.info, produced by makeinfo version 4.0 from dc.texi.

START-INFO-DIR-ENTRY
* dc: (dc).                   Arbritrary precision RPN "Desktop Calculator".
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   This file documents DC, an arbitrary precision calculator.

   Published by the Free Software Foundation, Inc.  59 Temple Place,
Suite 330 Boston, MA 02111 USA

   Copyright (C) 1984, 1994, 1997, 1998, 2000 Free Software Foundation,
Inc.

   Permission is granted to make and distribute verbatim copies of this
manual provided the copyright notice and this permission notice are
preserved on all copies.

   Permission is granted to copy and distribute modified versions of
this manual under the conditions for verbatim copying, provided that
the entire resulting derived work is distributed under the terms of a
permission notice identical to this one.

   Permission is granted to copy and distribute translations of this
manual into another language, under the above conditions for modified
versions, except that this permission notice may be stated in a
translation approved by the Foundation.


File: dc.info,  Node: Top,  Next: Introduction,  Prev: (dir),  Up: (dir)

* Menu:

* Introduction::                Introduction
* Invocation::                  Invocation
* Printing Commands::           Printing Commands
* Arithmetic::                  Arithmetic
* Stack Control::               Stack Control
* Registers::                   Registers
* Parameters::                  Parameters
* Strings::                     Strings
* Status Inquiry::              Status Inquiry
* Miscellaneous::               Other commands
* Reporting bugs::              Reporting bugs


File: dc.info,  Node: Introduction,  Next: Invocation,  Prev: Top,  Up: Top

Introduction
************

   DC is a reverse-polish desk calculator which supports unlimited
precision arithmetic.  It also allows you to define and call macros.
Normally DC reads from the standard input; if any command arguments are
given to it, they are filenames, and DC reads and executes the contents
of the files instead of reading from standard input.  All normal output
is to standard output; all error messages are written to standard error.

   To exit, use `q'.  `C-c' does not exit; it is used to abort macros
that are looping, etc.  (Currently this is not true; `C-c' does exit.)

   A reverse-polish calculator stores numbers on a stack.  Entering a
number pushes it on the stack.  Arithmetic operations pop arguments off
the stack and push the results.

   To enter a number in DC, type the digits, with an optional decimal
point.  Exponential notation is not supported.  To enter a negative
number, begin the number with `_'.  `-' cannot be used for this, as it
is a binary operator for subtraction instead.  To enter two numbers in
succession, separate them with spaces or newlines.  These have no
meaning as commands.


File: dc.info,  Node: Invocation,  Next: Printing Commands,  Prev: Introduction,  Up: Top

Invocation
**********

   DC may be invoked with the following command-line options:
`-e EXPR'

`--expression=EXPR'
     Evaluate EXPR as DC commands.

`-f FILE'

`--file=FILE'
     Read and evaluate DC commands from FILE.

`-h'

`--help'
     Print a usage message summarizing the command-line options, then
     exit.

`-V'

`--version'
     Print the version information for this program, then exit.

   If any command-line parameters remain after processing the options,
these parameters are interpreted as additional FILEs whose contents are
read and evaluated.  A file name of `-' refers to the standard input
stream.  If no `-e' option was specified, and no files were specified,
then the standard input will be read for commands to evaluate.


File: dc.info,  Node: Printing Commands,  Next: Arithmetic,  Prev: Invocation,  Up: Top

Printing Commands
*****************

`p'
     Prints the value on the top of the stack, without altering the
     stack.  A newline is printed after the value.

`n'
     Prints the value on the top of the stack, popping it off, and does
     not print a newline after.  (This command is a GNU extension.)

`P'
     Pops off the value on top of the stack.  If it it a string, it is
     simply printed without a trailing newline.  Otherwise it is a
     number, and the integer portion of its absolute value is printed
     out as a "base (UCHAR_MAX+1)" byte stream.  Assuming that
     (UCHAR_MAX+1) is 256 (as it is on most machines with 8-bit bytes),
     the sequence `KSK 0k1/ [_1*]sx d0>x [256~aPd0<x]dsxx sxLKk' could
     also accomplish this function, except for the side-effect of
     clobbering the x register.  (Details of the behavior with a number
     are a GNU extension.)

`f'
     Prints the entire contents of the stack without altering anything.
     This is a good command to use if you are lost or want to figure
     out what the effect of some command has been.


File: dc.info,  Node: Arithmetic,  Next: Stack Control,  Prev: Printing Commands,  Up: Top

Arithmetic
**********

`+'
     Pops two values off the stack, adds them, and pushes the result.
     The precision of the result is determined only by the values of
     the arguments, and is enough to be exact.

`-'
     Pops two values, subtracts the first one popped from the second
     one popped, and pushes the result.

`*'
     Pops two values, multiplies them, and pushes the result.  The
     number of fraction digits in the result is the largest of the
     precision value, the number of fraction digits in the multiplier,
     or the number of fraction digits in the multiplicand; but in no
     event exceeding the number of digits required for an exact result.

`/'
     Pops two values, divides the second one popped from the first one
     popped, and pushes the result.  The number of fraction digits is
     specified by the precision value.

`%'
     Pops two values, computes the remainder of the division that the
     `/' command would do, and pushes that.  The value computed is the
     same as that computed by the sequence `Sd dld/ Ld*-' .

`~'
     Pops two values, divides the second one popped from the first one
     popped.  The quotient is pushed first, and the remainder is pushed
     next.  The number of fraction digits used in the division is
     specified by the precision value.  (The sequence `SdSn lnld/
     LnLd%' could also accomplish this function, with slightly
     different error checking.)  (This command is a GNU extension.)

`^'
     Pops two values and exponentiates, using the first value popped as
     the exponent and the second popped as the base.  The fraction part
     of the exponent is ignored.  The precision value specifies the
     number of fraction digits in the result.

`|'
     Pops three values and computes a modular exponentiation.  The
     first value popped is used as the reduction modulus; this value
     must be a non-zero number, and the result may not be accurate if
     the modulus is not an integer.  The second popped is used as the
     exponent; this value must be a non-negative number, and any
     fractional part of this exponent will be ignored.  The third value
     popped is the base which gets exponentiated, which should be an
     integer.  For small integers this is like the sequence `Sm^Lm%',
     but, unlike `^', this command will work with arbritrarily large
     exponents.  (This command is a GNU extension.)

`v'
     Pops one value, computes its square root, and pushes that.  The
     precision value specifies the number of fraction digits in the
     result.

   Most arithmetic operations are affected by the _precision value_,
which you can set with the `k' command.  The default precision value is
zero, which means that all arithmetic except for addition and
subtraction produces integer results.


File: dc.info,  Node: Stack Control,  Next: Registers,  Prev: Arithmetic,  Up: Top

Stack Control
*************

`c'
     Clears the stack, rendering it empty.

`d'
     Duplicates the value on the top of the stack, pushing another copy
     of it.  Thus, `4d*p' computes 4 squared and prints it.

`r'
     Reverses the order of (swaps) the top two values on the stack.
     (This command is a GNU extension.)


File: dc.info,  Node: Registers,  Next: Parameters,  Prev: Stack Control,  Up: Top

Registers
*********

   DC provides at least 256 memory registers, each named by a single
character.  You can store a number in a register and retrieve it later.

`sR'
     Pop the value off the top of the stack and store it into register
     R.

`lR'
     Copy the value in register R, and push it onto the stack.  This
     does not alter the contents of R.

     Each register also contains its own stack.  The current register
     value is the top of the register's stack.

`SR'
     Pop the value off the top of the (main) stack and push it onto the
     stack of register R.  The previous value of the register becomes
     inaccessible.

`LR'
     Pop the value off the top of register R's stack and push it onto
     the main stack.  The previous value in register R's stack, if any,
     is now accessible via the `lR' command.


File: dc.info,  Node: Parameters,  Next: Strings,  Prev: Registers,  Up: Top

Parameters
**********

   DC has three parameters that control its operation: the precision,
the input radix, and the output radix.  The precision specifies the
number of fraction digits to keep in the result of most arithmetic
operations.  The input radix controls the interpretation of numbers
typed in; _all_ numbers typed in use this radix.  The output radix is
used for printing numbers.

   The input and output radices are separate parameters; you can make
them unequal, which can be useful or confusing.  The input radix must
be between 2 and 16 inclusive.  The output radix must be at least 2.
The precision must be zero or greater.  The precision is always
measured in decimal digits, regardless of the current input or output
radix.

`i'
     Pops the value off the top of the stack and uses it to set the
     input radix.

`o'
     Pops the value off the top of the stack and uses it to set the
     output radix.

`k'
     Pops the value off the top of the stack and uses it to set the
     precision.

`I'
     Pushes the current input radix on the stack.

`O'
     Pushes the current output radix on the stack.

`K'
     Pushes the current precision on the stack.


File: dc.info,  Node: Strings,  Next: Status Inquiry,  Prev: Parameters,  Up: Top

Strings
*******

   DC can operate on strings as well as on numbers.  The only things
you can do with strings are print them and execute them as macros
(which means that the contents of the string are processed as DC
commands).  Both registers and the stack can hold strings, and DC
always knows whether any given object is a string or a number.  Some
commands such as arithmetic operations demand numbers as arguments and
print errors if given strings.  Other commands can accept either a
number or a string; for example, the `p' command can accept either and
prints the object according to its type.

`[CHARACTERS]'
     Makes a string containing CHARACTERS and pushes it on the stack.
     For example, `[foo]P' prints the characters `foo' (with no
     newline).

`a'
     The mnemonic for this is somewhat erroneous: asciify.  The
     top-of-stack is popped.  If it was a number, then the low-order
     byte of this number is converted into a string and pushed onto the
     stack.  Otherwise the top-of-stack was a string, and the first
     character of that string is pushed back.  (This command is a GNU
     extension.)

`x'
     Pops a value off the stack and executes it as a macro.  Normally
     it should be a string; if it is a number, it is simply pushed back
     onto the stack.  For example, `[1p]x' executes the macro `1p',
     which pushes 1 on the stack and prints `1' on a separate line.

     Macros are most often stored in registers; `[1p]sa' stores a macro
     to print `1' into register `a', and `lax' invokes the macro.

`>R'
     Pops two values off the stack and compares them assuming they are
     numbers, executing the contents of register R as a macro if the
     original top-of-stack is greater.  Thus, `1 2>a' will invoke
     register `a''s contents and `2 1>a' will not.

`!>R'
     Similar but invokes the macro if the original top-of-stack is not
     greater (is less than or equal to) what was the second-to-top.

`<R'
     Similar but invokes the macro if the original top-of-stack is less.

`!<R'
     Similar but invokes the macro if the original top-of-stack is not
     less (is greater than or equal to) what was the second-to-top.

`=R'
     Similar but invokes the macro if the two numbers popped are equal.

`!=R'
     Similar but invokes the macro if the two numbers popped are not
     equal.

`?'
     Reads a line from the terminal and executes it.  This command
     allows a macro to request input from the user.

`q'
     During the execution of a macro, this command exits from the macro
     and also from the macro which invoked it.  If called from the top
     level, or from a macro which was called directly from the top
     level, the `q' command will cause DC to exit.

`Q'
     Pops a value off the stack and uses it as a count of levels of
     macro execution to be exited.  Thus, `3Q' exits three levels.


File: dc.info,  Node: Status Inquiry,  Next: Miscellaneous,  Prev: Strings,  Up: Top

Status Inquiry
**************

`Z'
     Pops a value off the stack, calculates the number of digits it has
     (or number of characters, if it is a string) and pushes that
     number.

`X'
     Pops a value off the stack, calculates the number of fraction
     digits it has, and pushes that number.  For a string, the value
     pushed is 0.

`z'
     Pushes the current stack depth: the number of objects on the stack
     before the execution of the `z' command.


File: dc.info,  Node: Miscellaneous,  Next: Reporting bugs,  Prev: Status Inquiry,  Up: Top

Miscellaneous
*************

`!'
     Will run the rest of the line as a system command.  Note that
     parsing of the !<, !=, and !> commands take precidence, so if you
     want to run a command starting with <, =, or > you will need to
     add a space after the !.

`#'
     Will interpret the rest of the line as a comment.  (This command
     is a GNU extension.)

`:R'
     Will pop the top two values off of the stack.  The old
     second-to-top value will be stored in the array R, indexed by the
     old top-of-stack value.

`;R'
     Pops the top-of-stack and uses it as an index into the array R.
     The selected value is then pushed onto the stack.

   Note that each stacked instance of a register has its own array
associated with it.  Thus `1 0:A 0SA 2 0:A LA 0;Ap' will print 1,
because the 2 was stored in an instance of 0:A that was later popped.


File: dc.info,  Node: Reporting bugs,  Prev: Miscellaneous,  Up: Top

Reporting bugs
**************

   Email bug reports to <bug-dc@gnu.org>.



Tag Table:
Node: Top1084
Node: Introduction1663
Node: Invocation2880
Node: Printing Commands3724
Node: Arithmetic4902
Node: Stack Control7815
Node: Registers8228
Node: Parameters9154
Node: Strings10415
Node: Status Inquiry13385
Node: Miscellaneous13942
Node: Reporting bugs14909

End Tag Table