1DC(1) General Commands Manual DC(1)
2
6 dc - desk calculator
7
9 dc [ file ]
10
12 Dc is an arbitrary precision arithmetic package. Ordinarily it oper‐
13 ates on decimal integers, but one may specify an input base, output
14 base, and a number of fractional digits to be maintained. The overall
15 structure of dc is a stacking (reverse Polish) calculator. If an argu‐
16 ment is given, input is taken from that file until its end, then from
17 the standard input. The following constructions are recognized:
18 number
20 The value of the number is pushed on the stack. A number is an
21 unbroken string of the digits 0-9. It may be preceded by an
22 underscore _ to input a negative number. Numbers may contain
23 decimal points.
24 + - / * % ^
26 The top two values on the stack are added (+), subtracted (-),
27 multiplied (*), divided (/), remaindered (%), or exponentiated
28 (^). The two entries are popped off the stack; the result is
29 pushed on the stack in their place. Any fractional part of an
30 exponent is ignored.
31 sx The top of the stack is popped and stored into a register named
33 x, where x may be any character. If the s is capitalized, x is
34 treated as a stack and the value is pushed on it.
35 lx The value in register x is pushed on the stack. The register x
37 is not altered. All registers start with zero value. If the l
38 is capitalized, register x is treated as a stack and its top
39 value is popped onto the main stack.
40 d The top value on the stack is duplicated.
42 p The top value on the stack is printed. The top value remains
44 unchanged. P interprets the top of the stack as an ascii string,
45 removes it, and prints it.
46 f All values on the stack and in registers are printed.
48 q exits the program. If executing a string, the recursion level is
50 popped by two. If q is capitalized, the top value on the stack
51 is popped and the string execution level is popped by that value.
52 x treats the top element of the stack as a character string and
54 executes it as a string of dc commands.
55 X replaces the number on the top of the stack with its scale fac‐
57 tor.
58 [ ... ]
60 puts the bracketed ascii string onto the top of the stack.
61 <x >x =x
63 The top two elements of the stack are popped and compared. Reg‐
64 ister x is executed if they obey the stated relation.
65 v replaces the top element on the stack by its square root. Any
67 existing fractional part of the argument is taken into account,
68 but otherwise the scale factor is ignored.
69 ! interprets the rest of the line as a UNIX command.
71 c All values on the stack are popped.
73 i The top value on the stack is popped and used as the number radix
75 for further input. I pushes the input base on the top of the
76 stack.
77 o The top value on the stack is popped and used as the number radix
79 for further output.
80 O pushes the output base on the top of the stack.
82 k the top of the stack is popped, and that value is used as a non-
84 negative scale factor: the appropriate number of places are
85 printed on output, and maintained during multiplication, divi‐
86 sion, and exponentiation. The interaction of scale factor, input
87 base, and output base will be reasonable if all are changed
88 together.
89 z The stack level is pushed onto the stack.
91 Z replaces the number on the top of the stack with its length.
93 ? A line of input is taken from the input source (usually the ter‐
95 minal) and executed.
96 ; : are used by bc for array operations.
98 An example which prints the first ten values of n! is
100 [la1+dsa*pla10>y]sy
102 0sa1
103 lyx
104
106 bc(1), which is a preprocessor for dc providing infix notation and a C-
107 like syntax which implements functions and reasonable control struc‐
108 tures for programs.
109
111 `x is unimplemented' where x is an octal number.
112 `stack empty' for not enough elements on the stack to do what was
113 asked.
114 `Out of space' when the free list is exhausted (too many digits).
115 `Out of headers' for too many numbers being kept around.
116 `Out of pushdown' for too many items on the stack.
117 `Nesting Depth' for too many levels of nested execution.
118 DC(1)