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0 pointsSomeone12y ago0 comments

I tried finding out whether that "having a single number type" actually were true (the microcomputer versions used a percentage sign suffix (I%, J%) to denote integers).

From http://bitsavers.trailing-edge.com/pdf/dartmouth/BASIC_Oct64..., that appears to be the case.

Off topic: in that PDF (page 4) the letter "Oh" is distinguished from the numeral "Zero" by having a diagonal slash through the"Oh". Yes, that program printed "NØ UNIQUE SØLUTIØN".

That made me think of the periodic rants here on HN about the supposedly neigh insurmountable inconsistencies in mathematical notation.

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4 comments · 2 top-level

glurgh12y ago· 2 in thread

Probably mean 'nigh'. Neigh is a sound horses make.

SomeoneOP12y ago

Yep, let's see whether I can blaim iOS autocorrect: nigh. No. Thanks for the feedback.

lttlrck12y ago

or nay...

spc47612y ago

Not all microcomputer versions of BASIC used the percent sign to designate integers. The one I grew up using (Microsoft BASIC on the TRS-80 Color Computer) used only one representation for numbers, floating point (5 byte value, not IEEE 754 based).

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