[unix-history] / usr / man / man1 / dc.1

.TH DC 1 
.SH NAME
dc \- desk calculator
.SH SYNOPSIS
.B dc
[ file ]
.SH DESCRIPTION
.I Dc
is an arbitrary precision arithmetic package.
Ordinarily it operates on decimal integers,
but one may specify an input base, output base,
and a number of fractional digits to be maintained.
The overall structure of
.I dc
is
a stacking (reverse Polish) calculator.
If an argument is given,
input is taken from that file until its end,
then from the standard input.
The following constructions are recognized:
.HP 6
number
.br
The value of the number is pushed on the stack.
A number is an unbroken string of the digits 0-9.
It may be preceded by an underscore _ to input a
negative number.
Numbers may contain decimal points.
.HP 6
+  \- /  *  %  ^
.br
The
top two values on the stack are added
(+),
subtracted
(\-),
multiplied (*),
divided (/),
remaindered (%),
or exponentiated (^).
The two entries are popped off the stack;
the result is pushed on the stack in their place.
Any fractional part of an exponent is ignored.
.TP
.BI s x
The
top of the stack is popped and stored into
a register named
.I x,
where
.I x
may be any character.
If
the
.B s
is capitalized,
.I x
is treated as a stack and the value is pushed on it.
.TP
.BI l x
The
value in register
.I x
is pushed on the stack.
The register
.I x
is not altered.
All registers start with zero value.
If the
.B l
is capitalized,
register
.I x
is treated as a stack and its top value is popped onto the main stack.
.TP
.B  d
The
top value on the stack is duplicated.
.TP
.B  p
The top value on the stack is printed.
The top value remains unchanged.
.B P
interprets the top of the stack as an ascii string,
removes it, and prints it.
.TP
.B  f
All values on the stack and in registers are printed.
.TP
.B  q
exits the program.
If executing a string, the recursion level is
popped by two.
If
.B q
is capitalized,
the top value on the stack is popped and the string execution level is popped
by that value.
.TP
.B  x
treats the top element of the stack as a character string
and executes it as a string of dc commands.
.TP
.B  X
replaces the number on the top of the stack with its scale factor.
.TP
.B  "[ ... ]"
puts the bracketed ascii string onto the top of the stack.
.HP 6
.I  "<x  >x  =x"
.br
The
top two elements of the stack are popped and compared.
Register
.I x
is executed if they obey the stated
relation.
.TP
.B  v
replaces the top element on the stack by its square root.
Any existing fractional part of the argument is taken
into account, but otherwise the scale factor is ignored.
.TP
.B  !
interprets the rest of the line as a UNIX command.
.TP
.B  c
All values on the stack are popped.
.TP
.B  i
The top value on the stack is popped and used as the
number radix for further input.
.B I
pushes the input base on the top of the stack.
.TP
.B  o
The top value on the stack is popped and used as the
number radix for further output.
.TP
.SM
.B O
pushes the output base on the top of the stack.
.TP
.B  k
the top of the stack is popped, and that value is used as
a non-negative scale factor:
the appropriate number of places
are printed on output,
and maintained during multiplication, division, and exponentiation.
The interaction of scale factor,
input base, and output base will be reasonable if all are changed
together.
.TP
.B  z
The stack level is pushed onto the stack.
.TP
.SM
.B  Z
replaces the number on the top of the stack with its length.
.TP
.B  ?
A line of input is taken from the input source (usually the terminal)
and executed.
.TP
.B "; :"
are used by 
.I bc
for array operations.
.PP
An example which prints the first ten values of n! is
.nf
.PP
.in +3
[la1+dsa*pla10>y]sy
.br
0sa1
.br
lyx
.fi
.SH "SEE ALSO"
bc(1),
which is a preprocessor for
.I dc
providing infix notation and a C-like syntax
which implements functions and reasonable control
structures for programs.
.SH DIAGNOSTICS
`x is unimplemented' where x is an octal number.
.br
`stack empty' for not enough elements on the stack to do what was asked.
.br
`Out of space' when the free list is exhausted (too many digits).
.br
`Out of headers' for too many numbers being kept around.
.br
`Out of pushdown' for too many items on the stack.
.br
`Nesting Depth' for too many levels of nested execution.
Commit	Line	Data
e98c27ab LC	1	.TH DC 1
	2	.SH NAME
	3	dc \- desk calculator
	4	.SH SYNOPSIS
	5	.B dc
	6	[ file ]
	7	.SH DESCRIPTION
	8	.I Dc
	9	is an arbitrary precision arithmetic package.
	10	Ordinarily it operates on decimal integers,
	11	but one may specify an input base, output base,
	12	and a number of fractional digits to be maintained.
	13	The overall structure of
	14	.I dc
	15	is
	16	a stacking (reverse Polish) calculator.
	17	If an argument is given,
	18	input is taken from that file until its end,
	19	then from the standard input.
	20	The following constructions are recognized:
	21	.HP 6
	22	number
	23	.br
	24	The value of the number is pushed on the stack.
	25	A number is an unbroken string of the digits 0-9.
	26	It may be preceded by an underscore _ to input a
	27	negative number.
	28	Numbers may contain decimal points.
	29	.HP 6
	30	+ \- / * % ^
	31	.br
	32	The
	33	top two values on the stack are added
	34	(+),
	35	subtracted
	36	(\-),
	37	multiplied (*),
	38	divided (/),
	39	remaindered (%),
	40	or exponentiated (^).
	41	The two entries are popped off the stack;
	42	the result is pushed on the stack in their place.
	43	Any fractional part of an exponent is ignored.
	44	.TP
	45	.BI s x
	46	The
	47	top of the stack is popped and stored into
	48	a register named
	49	.I x,
	50	where
	51	.I x
	52	may be any character.
	53	If
	54	the
	55	.B s
	56	is capitalized,
	57	.I x
	58	is treated as a stack and the value is pushed on it.
	59	.TP
	60	.BI l x
	61	The
	62	value in register
	63	.I x
	64	is pushed on the stack.
65	The register
66	.I x
67	is not altered.
68	All registers start with zero value.
69	If the
70	.B l
71	is capitalized,
72	register
73	.I x
74	is treated as a stack and its top value is popped onto the main stack.
75	.TP
76	.B d
77	The
78	top value on the stack is duplicated.
79	.TP
80	.B p
81	The top value on the stack is printed.
82	The top value remains unchanged.
83	.B P
84	interprets the top of the stack as an ascii string,
85	removes it, and prints it.
86	.TP
87	.B f
88	All values on the stack and in registers are printed.
89	.TP
90	.B q
91	exits the program.
92	If executing a string, the recursion level is
93	popped by two.
94	If
95	.B q
96	is capitalized,
97	the top value on the stack is popped and the string execution level is popped
98	by that value.
99	.TP
100	.B x
101	treats the top element of the stack as a character string
102	and executes it as a string of dc commands.
103	.TP
104	.B X
105	replaces the number on the top of the stack with its scale factor.
106	.TP
107	.B "[ ... ]"
108	puts the bracketed ascii string onto the top of the stack.
109	.HP 6
110	.I "<x >x =x"
111	.br
112	The
113	top two elements of the stack are popped and compared.
114	Register
115	.I x
116	is executed if they obey the stated
117	relation.
118	.TP
119	.B v
120	replaces the top element on the stack by its square root.
121	Any existing fractional part of the argument is taken
122	into account, but otherwise the scale factor is ignored.
123	.TP
124	.B !
125	interprets the rest of the line as a UNIX command.
126	.TP
127	.B c
128	All values on the stack are popped.
129	.TP
130	.B i
131	The top value on the stack is popped and used as the
132	number radix for further input.
133	.B I
134	pushes the input base on the top of the stack.
135	.TP
136	.B o
137	The top value on the stack is popped and used as the
138	number radix for further output.
139	.TP
140	.SM
141	.B O
142	pushes the output base on the top of the stack.
143	.TP
144	.B k
145	the top of the stack is popped, and that value is used as
146	a non-negative scale factor:
147	the appropriate number of places
148	are printed on output,
149	and maintained during multiplication, division, and exponentiation.
150	The interaction of scale factor,
151	input base, and output base will be reasonable if all are changed
152	together.
153	.TP
154	.B z
155	The stack level is pushed onto the stack.
156	.TP
157	.SM
158	.B Z
159	replaces the number on the top of the stack with its length.
160	.TP
161	.B ?
162	A line of input is taken from the input source (usually the terminal)
163	and executed.
164	.TP
165	.B "; :"
166	are used by
167	.I bc
168	for array operations.
169	.PP
170	An example which prints the first ten values of n! is
171	.nf
172	.PP
173	.in +3
174	[la1+dsa*pla10>y]sy
175	.br
176	0sa1
177	.br
178	lyx
179	.fi
180	.SH "SEE ALSO"
181	bc(1),
182	which is a preprocessor for
183	.I dc
184	providing infix notation and a C-like syntax
185	which implements functions and reasonable control
186	structures for programs.
187	.SH DIAGNOSTICS
188	`x is unimplemented' where x is an octal number.
189	.br
190	`stack empty' for not enough elements on the stack to do what was asked.
191	.br
192	`Out of space' when the free list is exhausted (too many digits).
193	.br
194	`Out of headers' for too many numbers being kept around.
195	.br
196	`Out of pushdown' for too many items on the stack.
197	.br
198	`Nesting Depth' for too many levels of nested execution.