bc is an interactive processor for a language which resembles C but provides unlimited precision arithmetic. bc takes input from any files given, then reads the standard input.
Enclosed in /* and */.
Simple variables:
l,
where,
l
is a lower-case letter.
Array elements:
l[expression],
where,
expression
is a legal
bc
expression.
The words
ibase,
obase,
and
scale.
All function arguments are passed by value.
The value of a statement that is an expression is printed unless the main operator is an assignment. Either semicolons or newlines may separate statements. Assignment to scale influences the number of digits to be retained on arithmetic operations in the manner of dc.1 Assignments to ibase or obase set the input and output number radix respectively.
The same letter may be used as an array, a function, and a simple variable simultaneously. All variables are global to the program. `Auto' variables are pushed down during function calls. When using arrays as function arguments or defining them as automatic variables empty square brackets must follow the array name.
Define a function to compute an approximate value of the exponential function:
scale = 20 define e(x){ auto a, b, c, i, s a = 1 b = 1 s = 1 for(i=1; 1==1; i++){ a = a*x b = b*i c = a/b if(c == 0) return(s) s = s+c } }
Print approximate values of the exponential function of the first ten integers:
for(i=1; i<=10; i++) e(i)
Created by unroff & hp-tools. © somebody (See intro for details). All Rights Reserved. Last modified 11/5/97