D arithmetic problem

neob neobstojec at gmail.com
Thu Jun 4 06:20:03 PDT 2009


> In mathematical usage, an 'integer' is signed. So the 'u' prefix makes 
> sense. However, 'byte' is not 'byte int'. And the word 'byte' does NOT 
> have an implied signed-ness in popular usage (in fact, it doesn't have 
> terribly much implied connotation of being a number, merely a set of 8 
> bits).

Then maybe byte and ubyte should be replaced by tiny and utiny. It would eliminate confusion about byte and it wouldn't go against "without a u is signed, with a u is unsigned" convention. You would only have to add 

static if (is(utiny))
{
	alias tiny byte;
	alias utiny ubyte
}

to older code. byte_t alias for utiny could be added to the language.




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