From: Kevin Dunlap Date: Sat, 24 May 1986 00:30:14 +0000 (-0800) Subject: document distributed with 4.1BSD X-Git-Tag: BSD-4_3-Snapshot-Development~1507 X-Git-Url: https://git.subgeniuskitty.com/unix-history/.git/commitdiff_plain/eb1ab6e2b031c259113324a8c4c192995d64bfb5 document distributed with 4.1BSD SCCS-vsn: usr.bin/bc/USD.doc/bc 4.1 --- diff --git a/usr/src/usr.bin/bc/USD.doc/bc b/usr/src/usr.bin/bc/USD.doc/bc new file mode 100644 index 0000000000..102389c3db --- /dev/null +++ b/usr/src/usr.bin/bc/USD.doc/bc @@ -0,0 +1,1061 @@ +.\" @(#)bc 4.1 (Berkeley) %G% +.\" +.RP +.TL +BC \- An Arbitrary Precision Desk-Calculator Language +.AU +Lorinda Cherry +.AU +Robert Morris +.AI +.MH +.AB +BC is a language and a compiler for doing arbitrary precision arithmetic +on the PDP-11 under the +.UX +time-sharing +system. The output of the compiler is interpreted and executed by +a collection of routines which can input, output, and do +arithmetic on indefinitely large integers and on scaled fixed-point +numbers. +.PP +These routines are themselves based on a dynamic storage allocator. +Overflow does not occur until all available core storage +is exhausted. +.PP +The language has a complete control structure as well as immediate-mode +operation. Functions can be defined and saved for later execution. +.PP +Two five hundred-digit numbers can be multiplied to give a +thousand digit result in about ten seconds. +.PP +A small collection of library functions is also available, +including sin, cos, arctan, log, exponential, and Bessel functions of +integer order. +.PP +Some of the uses of this compiler are +.IP \- +to do computation with large integers, +.IP \- +to do computation accurate to many decimal places, +.IP \- +conversion of numbers from one base to another base. +.AE +.PP +.SH +Introduction +.PP +BC is a language and a compiler for doing arbitrary precision +arithmetic on the +.UX +time-sharing system [1]. +The compiler was written to make conveniently available a +collection of routines (called DC [5]) which are capable of doing +arithmetic on integers of arbitrary size. The compiler +is by no means intended to provide a complete programming +language. +It is a minimal language facility. +.PP +There is a scaling provision that permits the +use of decimal point notation. +Provision is made for input and output in bases other than +decimal. Numbers can be converted from decimal to octal by +simply setting the output base to equal 8. +.PP +The actual limit on the number of digits that can +be handled depends on the amount of storage available on the machine. +Manipulation of numbers with many hundreds of digits +is possible even on the smallest versions of +.UX . +.PP +The syntax of BC has been deliberately selected to agree +substantially with the C language [2]. Those who +are familiar with C will find few surprises in this language. +.SH +Simple Computations with Integers +.PP +The simplest kind of statement is an arithmetic expression +on a line by itself. +For instance, if you type in the line: +.DS +142857 + 285714 +.DE +the program responds immediately with the line +.DS +428571 +.DE +The operators \-, *, /, %, and ^ can also be used; they +indicate subtraction, multiplication, division, remaindering, and +exponentiation, respectively. Division of integers produces an +integer result truncated toward zero. +Division by zero produces an error +comment. +.PP +Any term in an expression may be prefixed by a minus sign to +indicate that it is to be negated (the `unary' minus sign). +The expression +.DS +7+\-3 +.DE +is interpreted to mean that \-3 is to be added to 7. +.PP +More complex expressions with several operators and with +parentheses are interpreted just as in +Fortran, with ^ having the greatest binding +power, then * and % and /, and finally + and \-. +Contents of parentheses are evaluated before material +outside the parentheses. +Exponentiations are +performed from right to left and the other operators +from left to right. +The two expressions +.DS +a^b^c and a^(b^c) +.DE +are equivalent, as are the two expressions +.DS +a*b*c and (a*b)*c +.DE +BC shares with Fortran and C the undesirable convention that +.DS +a/b*c is equivalent to (a/b)*c +.DE +.PP +Internal storage registers to hold numbers have single lower-case +letter names. The value of an expression can be assigned to +a register in the usual way. The statement +.DS +x = x + 3 +.DE +has the effect of increasing by three the value of the contents of the +register named x. +When, as in this case, the outermost operator is an =, the +assignment is performed but the result is not printed. +Only 26 of these named storage registers are available. +.PP +There is a built-in square root function whose +result is truncated to an integer (but see scaling below). +The lines +.DS +x = sqrt(191) +x +.DE +produce the printed result +.DS +13 +.DE +.SH +Bases +.PP +There are special internal quantities, called `ibase' and `obase'. +The contents of `ibase', initially set to 10, +determines the base used for interpreting numbers read in. +For example, the lines +.DS +ibase = 8 +11 +.DE +will produce the output line +.DS +9 +.DE +and you are all set up to do octal to decimal conversions. +Beware, however of trying to change the input base back +to decimal by typing +.DS +ibase = 10 +.DE +Because the number 10 is interpreted as octal, this statement will +have no effect. +For those who deal in hexadecimal notation, +the characters A\-F are permitted in numbers +(no matter what base is in effect) +and are +interpreted as digits having values 10\-15 respectively. +The statement +.DS +ibase = A +.DE +will change you back to decimal input base no matter what the +current input base is. +Negative and large positive input bases are +permitted but useless. +No mechanism has been provided for the input of arbitrary +numbers in bases less than 1 and greater than 16. +.PP +The contents of `obase', initially set to 10, are used as the base for output +numbers. The lines +.DS +obase = 16 +1000 +.DE +will produce the output line +.DS +3E8 +.DE +which is to be interpreted as a 3-digit hexadecimal number. +Very large output bases are permitted, and they are sometimes useful. +For example, large numbers can be output in groups of five digits +by setting `obase' to 100000. +Strange (i.e. 1, 0, or negative) output bases are +handled appropriately. +.PP +Very large numbers are split across lines with 70 characters per line. +Lines which are continued end with \\. +Decimal output conversion is practically instantaneous, but output +of very large numbers (i.e., more than 100 digits) with other bases +is rather slow. +Non-decimal output conversion of +a one hundred digit number takes about +three seconds. +.PP +It is best to remember that `ibase' and `obase' have no effect +whatever on the course of internal computation or +on the evaluation of expressions, but only affect input and +output conversion, respectively. +.SH +Scaling +.PP +A third special internal quantity called `scale' is +used to determine the scale of calculated +quantities. +Numbers may have +up to 99 decimal digits after the decimal point. +This fractional part is retained in further computations. +We refer to the number of digits after the decimal point of +a number as its scale. +.PP +When two scaled numbers are combined by +means of one of the arithmetic operations, the result +has a scale determined by the following rules. For +addition and subtraction, the scale of the result is the larger +of the scales of the two operands. In this case, +there is never any truncation of the result. +For multiplications, the scale of the result is never +less than the maximum of the two scales of the operands, +never more than the sum of the scales of the operands +and, subject to those two restrictions, +the scale of the result is set equal to the contents of the internal +quantity `scale'. +The scale of a quotient is the contents of the internal +quantity `scale'. The scale of a remainder is +the sum of the scales of the quotient and the divisor. +The result of an exponentiation is scaled as if +the implied multiplications were performed. +An exponent must be an integer. +The scale of a square root is set to the maximum of the scale +of the argument and the contents of `scale'. +.PP +All of the internal operations are actually carried out in terms +of integers, with digits being discarded when necessary. +In every case where digits are discarded, truncation and +not rounding is performed. +.PP +The contents of +`scale' must be no greater than +99 and no less than 0. It is initially set to 0. +In case you need more than 99 fraction digits, you may arrange +your own scaling. +.PP +The internal quantities `scale', `ibase', and `obase' can be +used in expressions just like other variables. +The line +.DS +scale = scale + 1 +.DE +increases the value of `scale' by one, and the line +.DS +scale +.DE +causes the current value of `scale' to be printed. +.PP +The value of `scale' retains its meaning as a +number of decimal digits to be retained in internal +computation even when `ibase' or `obase' are not equal to 10. +The internal computations (which are still conducted in decimal, +regardless of the bases) are performed to the specified number +of decimal digits, never hexadecimal or octal or any +other kind of digits. +.SH +Functions +.PP +The name of a function is a single lower-case letter. +Function names are permitted to collide with simple +variable names. +Twenty-six different defined functions are permitted +in addition to the twenty-six variable names. +The line +.DS + define a(x){ +.DE +begins the definition of a function with one argument. +This line must be followed by one or more statements, +which make up the body of the function, ending +with a right brace }. +Return of control from a function occurs when a return +statement is executed or when the end of the function is reached. +The return statement can take either +of the two forms +.DS +return +return(x) +.DE +In the first case, the value of the function is 0, and in +the second, the value of the expression in parentheses. +.PP +Variables used in the function can be declared as automatic +by a statement of the form +.DS +auto x,y,z +.DE +There can be only one `auto' statement in a function and it must +be the first statement in the definition. +These automatic variables are allocated space and initialized +to zero on entry to the function and thrown away on return. The +values of any variables with the same names outside the function +are not disturbed. +Functions may be called recursively and the automatic variables +at each level of call are protected. +The parameters named in a function definition are treated in +the same way as the automatic variables of that function +with the single exception that they are given a value +on entry to the function. +An example of a function definition is +.DS + define a(x,y){ + auto z + z = x*y + return(z) + } +.DE +The value of this function, when called, will be the +product of its +two arguments. +.PP +A function is called by the appearance of its name +followed by a string of arguments enclosed in +parentheses and separated by commas. +The result +is unpredictable if the wrong number of arguments is used. +.PP +Functions with no arguments are defined and called using +parentheses with nothing between them: b(). +.PP +If the function +.ft I +a +.ft +above has been defined, then the line +.DS +a(7,3.14) +.DE +would cause the result 21.98 to be printed and the line +.DS +x = a(a(3,4),5) +.DE +would cause the value of x to become 60. +.SH +Subscripted Variables +.PP +A single lower-case letter variable name +followed by an expression in brackets is called a subscripted +variable (an array element). +The variable name is called the array name and the expression +in brackets is called the subscript. +Only one-dimensional arrays are +permitted. The names of arrays are permitted to +collide with the names of simple variables and function names. +Any fractional +part of a subscript is discarded before use. +Subscripts must be greater than or equal to zero and +less than or equal to 2047. +.PP +Subscripted variables may be freely used in expressions, in +function calls, and in return statements. +.PP +An array name may be used as an argument to a function, +or may be declared as automatic in +a function definition by the use of empty brackets: +.DS +f(a[\|]) +define f(a[\|]) +auto a[\|] +.DE +When an array name is so used, the whole contents of the array +are copied for the use of the function, and thrown away on exit +from the function. +Array names which refer to whole arrays cannot be used +in any other contexts. +.SH +Control Statements +.PP +The `if', the `while', and the `for' statements +may be used to alter the flow within programs or to cause iteration. +The range of each of them is a statement or +a compound statement consisting of a collection of +statements enclosed in braces. +They are written in the following way +.DS +if(relation) statement +while(relation) statement +for(expression1; relation; expression2) statement +.DE +or +.DS +if(relation) {statements} +while(relation) {statements} +for(expression1; relation; expression2) {statements} +.DE +.PP +A relation in one of the control statements is an expression of the form +.DS +x>y +.DE +where two expressions are related by one of the six relational +operators <, >, <=, >=, ==, or !=. +The relation == +stands for `equal to' and != stands for `not equal to'. +The meaning of the remaining relational operators is +clear. +.PP +BEWARE of using = instead of == in a relational. Unfortunately, +both of them are legal, so you will not get a diagnostic +message, but = really will not do a comparison. +.PP +The `if' statement causes execution of its range +if and only if the relation is true. +Then control passes to the next statement in sequence. +.PP +The `while' statement causes execution of its range +repeatedly as long as the relation +is true. The relation is tested before each execution +of its range and if the relation +is false, control passes to the next statement beyond the range +of the while. +.PP +The `for' statement begins +by executing `expression1'. Then the relation is tested +and, if true, the statements in the range of the `for' are executed. +Then `expression2' is executed. The relation is tested, and so on. +The typical use of the `for' statement is for a controlled iteration, +as in the statement +.DS +for(i=1; i<=10; i=i+1) i +.DE +which will print the integers from 1 to 10. +Here are some examples of the use of the control statements. +.DS +define f(n){ +auto i, x +x=1 +for(i=1; i<=n; i=i+1) x=x*i +return(x) +} +.DE +The line +.DS + f(a) +.DE +will print +.ft I +a +.ft +factorial if +.ft I +a +.ft +is a positive integer. +Here is the definition of a function which will +compute values of the binomial coefficient +(m and n are assumed to be positive integers). +.DS +define b(n,m){ +auto x, j +x=1 +for(j=1; j<=m; j=j+1) x=x*(n\-j+1)/j +return(x) +} +.DE +The following function computes values of the exponential function +by summing the appropriate series +without regard for possible truncation errors: +.DS +scale = 20 +define e(x){ + auto a, b, c, d, n + a = 1 + b = 1 + c = 1 + d = 0 + n = 1 + while(1==1){ + a = a*x + b = b*n + c = c + a/b + n = n + 1 + if(c==d) return(c) + d = c + } +} +.DE +.SH +Some Details +.PP +There are some language features that every user should know +about even if he will not use them. +.PP +Normally statements are typed one to a line. It is also permissible +to type several statements on a line separated by semicolons. +.PP +If an assignment statement is parenthesized, it then has +a value and it can be used anywhere that an expression can. +For example, the line +.DS +(x=y+17) +.DE +not only makes the indicated assignment, but also prints the +resulting value. +.PP +Here is an example of a use of the value of an +assignment statement even when it is not parenthesized. +.DS +x = a[i=i+1] +.DE +causes a value to be assigned to x and also increments i +before it is used as a subscript. +.PP +The following constructs work in BC in exactly the same manner +as they do in the C language. Consult the appendix or the +C manuals [2] for their exact workings. +.DS +.ta 2i +x=y=z is the same as x=(y=z) +x =+ y x = x+y +x =\- y x = x\-y +x =* y x = x*y +x =/ y x = x/y +x =% y x = x%y +x =^ y x = x^y +x++ (x=x+1)\-1 +x\-\- (x=x\-1)+1 +++x x = x+1 +\-\-x x = x\-1 +.DE +Even if you don't intend to use the constructs, +if you type one inadvertently, something correct but unexpected +may happen. +.PP +WARNING! In some of these constructions, spaces are +significant. +There is a real difference between +x=\-y and x= \-y. +The first replaces x by x\-y and the second by \-y. +.SH +Three Important Things +.PP +1. To exit a BC program, type `quit'. +.PP +2. There is a comment convention identical to that of C and +of PL/I. Comments begin with `/*' and end with `*/'. +.PP +3. There is a library of math functions which may be obtained by +typing at command level +.DS +bc \-l +.DE +This command will load a set of library functions +which, at the time of writing, consists of sine (named `s'), +cosine (`c'), arctangent (`a'), natural logarithm (`l'), +exponential (`e') and Bessel functions of integer order (`j(n,x)'). Doubtless more functions will be added +in time. +The library sets the scale to 20. You can reset it to something +else if you like. +The design of these mathematical library routines +is discussed elsewhere [3]. +.PP +If you type +.DS +bc file ... +.DE +BC will read and execute the named file or files before accepting +commands from the keyboard. In this way, you may load your +favorite programs and function definitions. +.SH +Acknowledgement +.PP +The compiler is written in YACC [4]; its original +version was written by S. C. Johnson. +.SH +References +.IP [1] +K. Thompson and D. M. Ritchie, +.ft I +UNIX Programmer's Manual, +.ft +Bell Laboratories, +1978. +.IP [2] +B. W. Kernighan and +D. M. Ritchie, +.ft I +The C Programming Language, +.ft +Prentice-Hall, 1978. +.IP [3] +R. Morris, +.ft I +A Library of Reference Standard Mathematical Subroutines, +.ft +Bell Laboratories internal memorandum, 1975. +.IP [4] +S. C. Johnson, +.ft I +YACC \(em Yet Another Compiler-Compiler. +.ft +Bell Laboratories Computing Science Technical Report #32, 1978. +.IP [5] +R. Morris and L. L. Cherry, +.ft I +DC \- An Interactive Desk Calculator. +.ft +.LP +.bp +.ft B +.DS C +Appendix +.DE +.ft +.NH +Notation +.PP +In the following pages syntactic categories are in \fIitalics\fP; +literals are in \fBbold\fP; material in brackets [\|] is optional. +.NH +Tokens +.PP +Tokens consist of keywords, identifiers, constants, operators, +and separators. +Token separators may be blanks, tabs or comments. +Newline characters or semicolons separate statements. +.NH 2 +Comments +.PP +Comments are introduced by the characters /* and terminated by +*/. +.NH 2 +Identifiers +.PP +There are three kinds of identifiers \- ordinary identifiers, array identifiers +and function identifiers. +All three types consist of single lower-case letters. +Array identifiers are followed by square brackets, possibly +enclosing an expression describing a subscript. +Arrays are singly dimensioned and may contain up to 2048 +elements. +Indexing begins at zero so an array may be indexed from 0 to 2047. +Subscripts are truncated to integers. +Function identifiers are followed by parentheses, possibly enclosing arguments. +The three types of identifiers do not conflict; +a program can have a variable named \fBx\fP, +an array named \fBx\fP and a function named \fBx\fP, all of which are separate and +distinct. +.NH 2 +Keywords +.PP +The following are reserved keywords: +.ft B +.ta .5i 1.0i +.nf + ibase if + obase break + scale define + sqrt auto + length return + while quit + for +.fi +.ft +.NH 2 +Constants +.PP +Constants consist of arbitrarily long numbers +with an optional decimal point. +The hexadecimal digits \fBA\fP\-\fBF\fP are also recognized as digits with +values 10\-15, respectively. +.NH 1 +Expressions +.PP +The value of an expression is printed unless the main +operator is an assignment. +Precedence is the same as the order +of presentation here, with highest appearing first. +Left or right associativity, where applicable, is +discussed with each operator. +.bp +.NH 2 +Primitive expressions +.NH 3 +Named expressions +.PP +Named expressions are +places where values are stored. +Simply stated, +named expressions are legal on the left +side of an assignment. +The value of a named expression is the value stored in the place named. +.NH 4 +\fIidentifiers\fR +.PP +Simple identifiers are named expressions. +They have an initial value of zero. +.NH 4 +\fIarray-name\fP\|[\|\fIexpression\fP\|] +.PP +Array elements are named expressions. +They have an initial value of zero. +.NH 4 +\fBscale\fR, \fBibase\fR and \fBobase\fR +.PP +The internal registers +\fBscale\fP, \fBibase\fP and \fBobase\fP are all named expressions. +\fBscale\fP is the number of digits after the decimal point to be +retained in arithmetic operations. +\fBscale\fR has an initial value of zero. +\fBibase\fP and \fBobase\fP are the input and output number +radix respectively. +Both \fBibase\fR and \fBobase\fR have initial values of 10. +.NH 3 +Function calls +.NH 4 +\fIfunction-name\fB\|(\fR[\fIexpression\fR\|[\fB,\|\fIexpression\|\fR.\|.\|.\|]\|]\fB) +.PP +A function call consists of a function name followed by parentheses +containing a comma-separated list of +expressions, which are the function arguments. +A whole array passed as an argument is specified by the +array name followed by empty square brackets. +All function arguments are passed by +value. +As a result, changes made to the formal parameters have +no effect on the actual arguments. +If the function terminates by executing a return +statement, the value of the function is +the value of the expression in the parentheses of the return +statement or is zero if no expression is provided +or if there is no return statement. +.NH 4 +sqrt\|(\|\fIexpression\fP\|) +.PP +The result is the square root of the expression. +The result is truncated in the least significant decimal place. +The scale of the result is +the scale of the expression or the +value of +.ft B +scale, +.ft +whichever is larger. +.NH 4 +length\|(\|\fIexpression\fP\|) +.PP +The result is the total number of significant decimal digits in the expression. +The scale of the result is zero. +.NH 4 +scale\|(\|\fIexpression\fP\|) +.PP +The result is the scale of the expression. +The scale of the result is zero. +.NH 3 +Constants +.PP +Constants are primitive expressions. +.NH 3 +Parentheses +.PP +An expression surrounded by parentheses is +a primitive expression. +The parentheses are used to alter the +normal precedence. +.NH 2 +Unary operators +.PP +The unary operators +bind right to left. +.NH 3 +\-\|\fIexpression\fP +.PP +The result is the negative of the expression. +.NH 3 +++\|\fInamed-expression\fP +.PP +The named expression is +incremented by one. +The result is the value of the named expression after +incrementing. +.NH 3 +\-\-\|\fInamed-expression\fP +.PP +The named expression is +decremented by one. +The result is the value of the named expression after +decrementing. +.NH 3 +\fInamed-expression\fP\|++ +.PP +The named expression is +incremented by one. +The result is the value of the named expression before +incrementing. +.NH 3 +\fInamed-expression\fP\|\-\- +.PP +The named expression is +decremented by one. +The result is the value of the named expression before +decrementing. +.NH 2 +Exponentiation operator +.PP +The exponentiation operator binds right to left. +.NH 3 +\fIexpression\fP ^ \fIexpression\fP +.PP +The result is the first +expression raised to the power of the +second expression. +The second expression must be an integer. +If \fIa\fP +is the scale of the left expression +and \fIb\fP is the absolute value +of the right expression, +then the scale of the result is: +.PP +min\|(\|\fIa\(mub\fP,\|max\|(\|\fBscale\fP,\|\fIa\fP\|)\|) +.NH 2 +Multiplicative operators +.PP +The operators *, /, % bind left to right. +.NH 3 +\fIexpression\fP * \fIexpression\fP +.PP +The result is the product +of the two expressions. +If \fIa\fP and \fIb\fP are the +scales of the two expressions, +then the scale of the result is: +.PP +min\|(\|\fIa+b\fP,\|max\|(\|\fBscale\fP,\|\fIa\fP,\|\fIb\fP\|)\|) +.NH 3 +\fIexpression\fP / \fIexpression\fP +.PP +The result is the quotient of the two expressions. +The scale of the result is the value of \fBscale\fR. +.NH 3 +\fIexpression\fP % \fIexpression\fP +.PP +The % operator produces the remainder of the division +of the two expressions. +More precisely, +\fIa\fP%\fIb\fP is \fIa\fP\-\fIa\fP/\fIb\fP*\fIb\fP. +.PP +The scale of the result is the sum of the scale of +the divisor and the value of +.ft B +scale +.ft +.NH 2 +Additive operators +.PP +The additive operators bind left to right. +.NH 3 +\fIexpression\fP + \fIexpression\fP +.PP +The result is the sum of the two expressions. +The scale of the result is +the maximun of the scales of the expressions. +.NH 3 +\fIexpression\fP \- \fIexpression\fP +.PP +The result is the difference of the two expressions. +The scale of the result is the +maximum of the scales of the expressions. +.NH 2 +assignment operators +.PP +The assignment operators bind right to left. +.NH 3 +\fInamed-expression\fP = \fIexpression\fP +.PP +This expression results in assigning the value of the expression +on the right +to the named expression on the left. +.NH 3 +\fInamed-expression\fP =+ \fIexpression\fP +.NH 3 +\fInamed-expression\fP =\- \fIexpression\fP +.NH 3 +\fInamed-expression\fP =* \fIexpression\fP +.NH 3 +\fInamed-expression\fP =/ \fIexpression\fP +.NH 3 +\fInamed-expression\fP =% \fIexpression\fP +.NH 3 +\fInamed-expression\fP =^ \fIexpression\fP +.PP +The result of the above expressions is equivalent +to ``named expression = named expression OP expression'', +where OP is the operator after the = sign. +.NH 1 +Relations +.PP +Unlike all other operators, the relational operators +are only valid as the object of an \fBif\fP, \fBwhile\fP, +or inside a \fBfor\fP statement. +.NH 2 +\fIexpression\fP < \fIexpression\fP +.NH 2 +\fIexpression\fP > \fIexpression\fP +.NH 2 +\fIexpression\fP <= \fIexpression\fP +.NH 2 +\fIexpression\fP >= \fIexpression\fP +.NH 2 +\fIexpression\fP == \fIexpression\fP +.NH 2 +\fIexpression\fP != \fIexpression\fP +.NH 1 +Storage classes +.PP +There are only two storage classes in BC, global and automatic +(local). +Only identifiers that are to be local to a function need be +declared with the \fBauto\fP command. +The arguments to a function +are local to the function. +All other identifiers are assumed to be global +and available to all functions. +All identifiers, global and local, have initial values +of zero. +Identifiers declared as \fBauto\fP are allocated on entry to the function +and released on returning from the function. +They therefore do not retain values between function calls. +\fBauto\fP arrays are specified by the array name followed by empty square brackets. +.PP +Automatic variables in BC do not work in exactly the same way +as in either C or PL/I. On entry to a function, the old values of +the names that appear as parameters and as automatic +variables are pushed onto a stack. +Until return is made from the function, reference to these +names refers only to the new values. +.NH 1 +Statements +.PP +Statements must be separated by semicolon or newline. +Except where altered by control statements, execution +is sequential. +.NH 2 +Expression statements +.PP +When a statement is an expression, unless +the main operator is an assignment, the value +of the expression is printed, followed by a newline character. +.NH 2 +Compound statements +.PP +Statements may be grouped together and used when one statement is expected +by surrounding them with { }. +.NH 2 +Quoted string statements +.PP +"any string" +.sp .5 +This statement prints the string inside the quotes. +.NH 2 +If statements +.sp .5 +\fBif\|(\|\fIrelation\fB\|)\|\fIstatement\fR +.PP +The substatement is executed if the relation is true. +.NH 2 +While statements +.sp .5 +\fBwhile\|(\|\fIrelation\fB\|)\|\fIstatement\fR +.PP +The statement is executed while the relation +is true. +The test occurs before each execution of the statement. +.NH 2 +For statements +.sp .5 +\fBfor\|(\|\fIexpression\fB; \fIrelation\fB; \fIexpression\fB\|)\|\fIstatement\fR +.PP +The for statement is the same as +.nf +.ft I + first-expression + \fBwhile\|(\fPrelation\|\fB) {\fP + statement + last-expression + } +.ft R +.fi +.PP +All three expressions must be present. +.NH 2 +Break statements +.sp .5 +\fBbreak\fP +.PP +\fBbreak\fP causes termination of a \fBfor\fP or \fBwhile\fP statement. +.NH 2 +Auto statements +.sp .5 +\fBauto \fIidentifier\fR\|[\|\fB,\fIidentifier\fR\|] +.PP +The auto statement causes the values of the identifiers to be pushed down. +The identifiers can be ordinary identifiers or array identifiers. +Array identifiers are specified by following the array name by empty square +brackets. +The auto statement must be the first statement +in a function definition. +.NH 2 +Define statements +.sp .5 +.nf +\fBdefine(\|\fR[\fIparameter\|\fR[\fB\|,\|\fIparameter\|.\|.\|.\|\fR]\|]\|\fB)\|{\fI + statements\|\fB}\fR +.fi +.PP +The define statement defines a function. +The parameters may +be ordinary identifiers or array names. +Array names must be followed by empty square brackets. +.NH 2 +Return statements +.sp .5 +\fBreturn\fP +.sp .5 +\fBreturn(\fI\|expression\|\fB)\fR +.PP +The return statement causes termination of a function, +popping of its auto variables, and +specifies the result of the function. +The first form is equivalent to \fBreturn(0)\fR. +The result of the function is the result of the expression +in parentheses. +.NH 2 +Quit +.PP +The quit statement stops execution of a BC program and returns +control to UNIX when it is first encountered. +Because it is not treated as an executable statement, +it cannot be used +in a function definition or in an +.ft B +if, for, +.ft +or +.ft B +while +.ft +statement.