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From: philm@astroatc.UUCP (Phil Mason)
Newsgroups: comp.arch
Subject: Re: Byte Order: On Holy Wars and a Plea for Peace
Message-ID: <650@astroatc.UUCP>
Date: Thu, 18-Dec-86 10:53:20 EST
Article-I.D.: astroatc.650
Posted: Thu Dec 18 10:53:20 1986
Date-Received: Thu, 18-Dec-86 23:44:25 EST
References: <1509@ihlpl.UUCP> <1335@hoptoad.uucp> <1364@hoptoad.uucp> <399@viper.UUCP> <228@watcgl.UUCP> <650@instable.UUCP>
Reply-To: philm@astroatc.UUCP (Phil Mason)
Organization: Astronautics ATC, Madison, WI
Lines: 48

In article <650@instable.UUCP> orr@instable.UUCP (Orr Michael ) writes:
> . . . 
>
>As a native hebrew speaker here's my 2 cents' worth : 
>
>	In hebrew, (  at least modern hebrew ) the language is written
>right-to-left,  but embedded numbers are written & read *left-to-right* 
>
>	HOWEVER,  if the number is written in *words* it is written
>right to left. ( 1123 would come out "a thousand, one hundred & twenty
> three" as in english,  but the words will apear right to left )
>--

In both Arabic and Hebrew, numerics were originally read just like the 
words, right to left, least significant digit first.  When the volumous
Arabic mathematical texts were translated to Latin (a left to right language),
the numbers were left in the same order as they were in the Arabic texts.
One might assume that the translators did not wish to bother reversing all
of the digits in every number in all of those mathematical texts.  Just 
think of all of the errors that could have been introduced!

Those Arabic texts also gave us words like (and concepts) like 'zero',
'azimuth', 'algebra', among others.

Now the question remains, does the byte sex of hardware influence its 
complexity?  Does right to left digit writing make mathematics and arithmetic
any easier?  Probably not. In terms of computers, I know I would rather have 
the archiecture that was most consistent and efficient.  At this juncture it 
seems byte sex is a moot point given that machines of both varieties exist and 
are popular.  Given any new architecture, I am sure that the architect(s) 
would give the targeted users what they want and also maintain their own idea 
of a consistent approach to the operation of their machine.

My rule of thumb in architectural matters is :

If it is consistent, simple, easy to think about, easy to realize it's
probably the thing to do.



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Kirk  : Bones ?                |  Phil Mason, Astronautics Technology Center
Bones : He's dead Jim.         |  Madison, Wisconsin - "Eat Cheese or Die!"
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...seismo-uwvax-astroatc!philm |  I would really like to believe that my
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