[Nickle]Re: Printing of rationals

[Carl Worth]

Barton C Massey writes:
 > You can get more digits by changing the default print
 > format:
 >   format="%.1000g"
 > gets you 1000 digits.  Unfortunately, this still isn't
 > enough to capture the repeat in 1/16! :-).  To get this,
 > try
 >   format="%.-g"

Thanks, that's the magic I was missing, (and naturally fully
documented in the manual -- I just missed it).

 > which will show close to 1200 digits when closing the
 > repeat.  Perhaps this format should be the default?

Well, I'm using it now, but I'm not sure if it should be the
default. The display of 1200+ digits could be rather daunting to a
new user.

On the other hand, since nickle is using precise arithmetic, I think
it would be nice if it's default display was either precise or
explicitly stated that the displayed value was less precise than the
internal value. (The opening brace without a closing brace does
suggest this in many cases but it won't help with a non-repeating
decimal part that is longer than the format's precision width).

I don't know what would make a good indicator. Maybe an ellipsis, (or
at least an approximation of an ellipsis with 3 dots)?

 > Suggestions are welcome.  Mike thinks he wants the quotient
 > or the repeat, whichever is shorter.  I think it would drive
 > me nuts, but it is really easy to add, so I have encouraged
 > him to do so :-).

I too think that would be quite confusing.

-Carl