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classification
Title: Make decimal floating point be default, remove binary floating point
Type: enhancement Stage:
Components: Interpreter Core Versions: Python 3.2
process
Status: closed Resolution: later
Dependencies: Superseder:
Assigned To: Nosy List: Retro, gvanrossum, mark.dickinson
Priority: normal Keywords:

Created on 2009-11-24 11:05 by Retro, last changed 2022-04-11 14:56 by admin. This issue is now closed.

Messages (2)
msg95668 - (view) Author: Boštjan Mejak (Retro) Date: 2009-11-24 11:05
The Python interpreter should have the decimal type built into its core.
The mechanism for dealing with decimal numbers should be handled by the
decimal type and not by the processor which spits binary floats. The
time is now. But ask yourself these questions:

Is this doable? If yes:
Would it break anything? If yes, note that:
Python 3.1 opposed to Python 3.0 also had major changes that break the
two appart.

I say go for revolutional change in Python 3.2. But the call is yours.
msg95669 - (view) Author: Mark Dickinson (mark.dickinson) * (Python committer) Date: 2009-11-24 11:24
I think the bug tracker is the wrong place to discuss such a wide-
ranging and (currently) ill-specified change.  The python-list or 
python-ideas mailing lists might be better places.

Decimal in the core is out of the question for Python 3.2, thanks to PEP 
3003.  What *is* feasible at this stage is to replace the current slow 
Python implementation of the decimal module with a C version;  there's 
some ongoing work on that.

Removing binary floats from the core entirely sounds like a bad idea to 
me, for performance reasons.  And it probably couldn't be done before 
Python 4.x without breaking backwards compatibility.

I'm closing this for now;  if you're interested in this, please take the 
discussion to python-list or python-ideas.
History
Date User Action Args
2022-04-11 14:56:55adminsetgithub: 51638
2009-11-24 11:24:32mark.dickinsonsetstatus: open -> closed

nosy: + mark.dickinson
messages: + msg95669

resolution: later
2009-11-24 11:05:58Retrocreate