Hi, that was the reason why I wanted to discuss the API and the problems - the present functions weren't meant to be the perfect solution. The random number generator returns an unsigned integer and is actually using the whole 32bit, so if it's casted to a singed integer, it's still random :), but the example 21 is then still not the same for different languages.
I would actually propose to drop the plrandi() function and only use the plrandd() function, since a double should be available in all languages, or? If you need an integer, you need to multiply the double with the max value of your range. What do you think? Regards WErner On 23.07.2008, at 16:23, Hezekiah M. Carty wrote: > On Wed, Jul 23, 2008 at 6:55 AM, Andrew Ross > <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: >> 2) The types used by these functions are a bit loose. The use of >> unsigned >> long (usually 64 bit on modern hardware) as the return value for >> plrandi >> caused me some headaches with java until I realised that the return >> value is actually a 32-bit unsigned integer. (Java has no concept of >> unsigned type and so the largest positive integer you can have is >> actually 63 bits with the long type - crazy, but there you are. See >> google for the logic behind it.) > > There are similar issues for OCaml. There are no stand-alone unsigned > integer types included in the standard library. The current interface > ignores the "unsigned" aspect and simply uses OCaml native integers, > which are 31bits or 63bits depending on the architecture (32bits or > 64bits - 1bit used for GC purposes). > > Would it be reasonable to make the interfaces take signed integers and > then shift/cast them appropriately to unsigned values in the PLplot > interface wrapper functions? This does not address the PLUNICODE > issue you brought up, but it may make the interface to other languages > - at least Java and OCaml? - simpler. > > Hez > > -- > Hezekiah M. Carty > Graduate Research Assistant > University of Maryland > Department of Atmospheric and Oceanic Science > > ------------------------------------------------------------------------- > This SF.Net email is sponsored by the Moblin Your Move Developer's > challenge > Build the coolest Linux based applications with Moblin SDK & win > great prizes > Grand prize is a trip for two to an Open Source event anywhere in > the world > http://moblin-contest.org/redirect.php?banner_id=100&url=/ > _______________________________________________ > Plplot-devel mailing list > Plplot-devel@lists.sourceforge.net > https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/plplot-devel -- Dr. Werner Smekal Institut fuer Allgemeine Physik Technische Universitaet Wien Wiedner Hauptstr 8-10 A-1040 Wien Austria email: [EMAIL PROTECTED] web: http://www.iap.tuwien.ac.at/~smekal phone: +43-(0)1-58801-13463 (office), +43-(0)1-58801-13469 (laboratory) fax: +43-(0)1-58801-13499 ------------------------------------------------------------------------- This SF.Net email is sponsored by the Moblin Your Move Developer's challenge Build the coolest Linux based applications with Moblin SDK & win great prizes Grand prize is a trip for two to an Open Source event anywhere in the world http://moblin-contest.org/redirect.php?banner_id=100&url=/ _______________________________________________ Plplot-devel mailing list Plplot-devel@lists.sourceforge.net https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/plplot-devel
