Path: utzoo!mnetor!uunet!husc6!bbn!schooler@oak.bbn.com
From: schooler@oak.bbn.com (Richard Schooler)
Newsgroups: comp.arch
Subject: Re: negative addresses
Message-ID: <24396@bbn.COM>
Date: 10 May 88 21:04:30 GMT
References: <2393@uvacs.CS.VIRGINIA.EDU>
Sender: news@bbn.COM
Reply-To: schooler@oak.bbn.com (Richard Schooler)
Organization: BBN Advanced Computers, Inc.
Lines: 11
In-reply-to: wulf@uvacs.CS.VIRGINIA.EDU (Bill Wulf)


I've seen too many other uses of unsigned arithmetic to contemplate
removing unsigned arithmetic.  Some quantities are inherently
unsigned, such as distance and degrees Kelvin.  To many industrial
applications, the difference between a 15-bit and a 16-bit integer is
a critical one.  Even 31 vs. 32 bits can make a difference,
particularly in fixed-point work, where resolution counts as well as
range.  Unsigned integers are also good for bit-diddling in a language
that doesn't support it explicitly.

	-- Richard Schooler
	schooler@bbn.com