Re: gnuplot cvs source bug

[Robert H. <en...@no...>]

On Fri, 2005-09-23 at 11:34 -0700, Ethan Merritt wrote:
> On Friday 23 September 2005 07:19 am, Robert Hart wrote:
> > 
> > Yes, but we are talking about a situation where floats *do* apply.
> > Surely it is more logical to treat numbers as floats *unless* they are
> > used in a context where only integers apply. For any ambiguous case
> > (division and exponentiation), anybody who wants the integer math
> > *knows* they want it and can use int()
> 
> I happen to disagree.  Integer arithmetic is quite useful in many
> contexts, and it is a standard part of programming languages and
> natural languages.  Adding peculiar arithmetic operators to indicate
> that a number is an integer strikes me as being an obfuscation, not
> a clarification.  Sure, sometimes even an experienced user will 
> forget, and mistype  (n/2) where it should have been (n/2.0).
> But also people type "if (a = b)" where it should have been
> "if (a == b)" or "if (a eq b)". Hiding this useful distinction
> in a choice of operators is not likely to reduce the number of
> mistakes.

Firstly gnuplot is not a programming language, it is a scientific
plotting utility. I think that is an important distinction in itself.

Secondly, the typical user is neither a programmer or "experienced",
they are simply somebody who wants to create plots with the minimum
fuss. If they are experienced in something, it may well be spreadsheets
- in fact a spreadsheet may be the last application they used before
switching to gnuplot.

I realise at the end of a day this is a issue of background, and that
people like me who are used to basic, perl and excel think differently
to the FORTRAN, C, and bash people in the world, but if the situation
were reversed I don't think you'd get people reporting it as a bug that
1/2=0.5, because they'd just say "oh uh, I meant int(1/2) then"

Just my $0.02.
-- 
Robert Hart <en...@no...>
University of Nottingham


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