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

.\"	@(#)dc.1	6.1 (Berkeley) 4/29/85
.\"
.TH DC 1 "April 29, 1985"
.AT 3
.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
95f51977	1	.\" @(#)dc.1 6.1 (Berkeley) 4/29/85
3eb17eeb	2	.\"
95f51977	3	.TH DC 1 "April 29, 1985"
3eb17eeb KM	4	.AT 3
	5	.SH NAME
	6	dc \- desk calculator
	7	.SH SYNOPSIS
	8	.B dc
	9	[ file ]
	10	.SH DESCRIPTION
	11	.I Dc
	12	is an arbitrary precision arithmetic package.
	13	Ordinarily it operates on decimal integers,
	14	but one may specify an input base, output base,
	15	and a number of fractional digits to be maintained.
	16	The overall structure of
	17	.I dc
	18	is
	19	a stacking (reverse Polish) calculator.
	20	If an argument is given,
	21	input is taken from that file until its end,
	22	then from the standard input.
	23	The following constructions are recognized:
	24	.HP 6
	25	number
	26	.br
	27	The value of the number is pushed on the stack.
	28	A number is an unbroken string of the digits 0-9.
	29	It may be preceded by an underscore _ to input a
	30	negative number.
	31	Numbers may contain decimal points.
	32	.HP 6
	33	+ \- / * % ^
	34	.br
	35	The
	36	top two values on the stack are added
	37	(+),
	38	subtracted
	39	(\-),
	40	multiplied (*),
	41	divided (/),
	42	remaindered (%),
	43	or exponentiated (^).
	44	The two entries are popped off the stack;
	45	the result is pushed on the stack in their place.
	46	Any fractional part of an exponent is ignored.
	47	.TP
	48	.BI s x
	49	The
	50	top of the stack is popped and stored into
	51	a register named
	52	.I x,
	53	where
	54	.I x
	55	may be any character.
	56	If
	57	the
	58	.B s
	59	is capitalized,
	60	.I x
	61	is treated as a stack and the value is pushed on it.
	62	.TP
	63	.BI l x
	64	The
	65	value in register
	66	.I x
	67	is pushed on the stack.
68	The register
69	.I x
70	is not altered.
71	All registers start with zero value.
72	If the
73	.B l
74	is capitalized,
75	register
76	.I x
77	is treated as a stack and its top value is popped onto the main stack.
78	.TP
79	.B d
80	The
81	top value on the stack is duplicated.
82	.TP
83	.B p
84	The top value on the stack is printed.
85	The top value remains unchanged.
86	.B P
87	interprets the top of the stack as an ascii string,
88	removes it, and prints it.
89	.TP
90	.B f
91	All values on the stack and in registers are printed.
92	.TP
93	.B q
94	exits the program.
95	If executing a string, the recursion level is
96	popped by two.
97	If
98	.B q
99	is capitalized,
100	the top value on the stack is popped and the string execution level is popped
101	by that value.
102	.TP
103	.B x
104	treats the top element of the stack as a character string
105	and executes it as a string of dc commands.
106	.TP
107	.B X
108	replaces the number on the top of the stack with its scale factor.
109	.TP
110	.B "[ ... ]"
111	puts the bracketed ascii string onto the top of the stack.
112	.HP 6
113	.I "<x >x =x"
114	.br
115	The
116	top two elements of the stack are popped and compared.
117	Register
118	.I x
119	is executed if they obey the stated
120	relation.
121	.TP
122	.B v
123	replaces the top element on the stack by its square root.
124	Any existing fractional part of the argument is taken
125	into account, but otherwise the scale factor is ignored.
126	.TP
127	.B !
128	interprets the rest of the line as a UNIX command.
129	.TP
130	.B c
131	All values on the stack are popped.
132	.TP
133	.B i
134	The top value on the stack is popped and used as the
135	number radix for further input.
136	.B I
137	pushes the input base on the top of the stack.
138	.TP
139	.B o
140	The top value on the stack is popped and used as the
141	number radix for further output.
142	.TP
143	.SM
144	.B O
145	pushes the output base on the top of the stack.
146	.TP
147	.B k
148	the top of the stack is popped, and that value is used as
149	a non-negative scale factor:
150	the appropriate number of places
151	are printed on output,
152	and maintained during multiplication, division, and exponentiation.
153	The interaction of scale factor,
154	input base, and output base will be reasonable if all are changed
155	together.
156	.TP
157	.B z
158	The stack level is pushed onto the stack.
159	.TP
160	.SM
161	.B Z
162	replaces the number on the top of the stack with its length.
163	.TP
164	.B ?
165	A line of input is taken from the input source (usually the terminal)
166	and executed.
167	.TP
168	.B "; :"
169	are used by
170	.I bc
171	for array operations.
172	.PP
173	An example which prints the first ten values of n! is
174	.nf
175	.PP
176	.in +3
177	[la1+dsa*pla10>y]sy
178	.br
179	0sa1
180	.br
181	lyx
182	.fi
183	.SH "SEE ALSO"
184	bc(1),
185	which is a preprocessor for
186	.I dc
187	providing infix notation and a C-like syntax
188	which implements functions and reasonable control
189	structures for programs.
190	.SH DIAGNOSTICS
191	`x is unimplemented' where x is an octal number.
192	.br
193	`stack empty' for not enough elements on the stack to do what was asked.
194	.br
195	`Out of space' when the free list is exhausted (too many digits).
196	.br
197	`Out of headers' for too many numbers being kept around.
198	.br
199	`Out of pushdown' for too many items on the stack.
200	.br
201	`Nesting Depth' for too many levels of nested execution.