Release calc version 2.11.0t8

help/wishlist

@@ -0,0 +1,215 @@
+Calc Enhancement Wish List:
+
+    Send calc comments, suggestions, bug fixes, enhancements and
+    interesting calc scripts that you would like you see included in
+    future distributions to:
+
+		calc-tester@postofc.corp.sgi.com
+
+    The following items are in the calc wish list.  Programs like this
+    can be extended and improved forever.
+
+    See the 'todo' help file for higher priority todo items.
+
+=-=
+
+    *  In general use faster algorithms for large numbers when they
+       become known.  In particular, look at better algorithms for
+       very large numbers -- multiply, square and mod in particular.
+
+    *  Implement an autoload feature.  Associate a calc library filename
+       with a function or global variable.  On the first reference of
+       such item, perform an automatic load of that file.
+
+    *  Add error handling statements, so that QUITs, errors from the
+       'eval' function, division by zeroes, and so on can be caught.
+       This should be done using syntax similar to:
+
+		ONERROR statement DO statement;
+
+       Something like signal isn't versatile enough.
+
+    *  Add a debugging capability so that functions can be single stepped,
+       breakpoints inserted, variables displayed, and so on.
+
+    *  Figure out how to write all variables out to a file, including
+       deeply nested arrays, lists, and objects.
+
+       Add the ability to read and write a value in some binary form.
+       Clearly this is easy for non-neg integers.  The question of
+       everything else is worth pondering.
+
+    *  Eliminate the need for the define keyword by doing smarter parsing.
+
+    *  Allow results of a command (or all commands) to be re-directed to a
+       file or piped into a command.
+
+    *  Add some kind of #include and #define facility.  Perhaps use
+       the C pre-processor itself?
+
+    *  Support a more general input and output base mode other than
+       just dec, hex or octal.
+
+    *  Implement a form of symbolic algebra.  Work on this has already
+       begun.  This will use backquotes to define expressions, and new
+       functions will be able to act on expressions.  For example:
+
+	    x = `hello * strlen(mom)`;
+	    x = sub(x, `hello`, `hello + 1`);
+	    x = sub(x, `hello`, 10, `mom`, "curds");
+	    eval(x);
+
+       prints 55.
+
+    *  Place the results of previous commands into a parallel history list.
+       Add a binding that returns the saved result of the command so
+       that one does not need to re-execute a previous command simply
+       to obtain its value.
+
+       If you have a command that takes a very long time to execute,
+       it would be nice if you could get at its result without having
+       to spend the time to reexecute it.
+
+    *  Add a binding to delete a value from the history list.
+
+       One may need to remove a large value from the history list if
+       it is very large.  Deleting the value would replace the history
+       entry with a null value.
+
+    *  Add a binding to delete a command from the history list.
+
+       Since you can delete values, you might as well be able to
+       delete commands.
+
+    *  All one to alter the size of the history list thru config().
+
+       In some cases, 256 values is too small, in others it is too large.
+
+    *  Add a builtin that returns a value from the history list.
+       As an example:
+
+	    histval(-10)
+
+       returns the 10th value on the history value list, if such
+       a value is in the history list (null otherwise).  And:
+
+	    histval(23)
+
+       return the value of the 23rd command given to calc, if
+       such a value is in the history list (null otherwise).
+
+       It would be very helpful to use the history values in
+       subsequent equations.
+
+    *  Add a builtin that returns command as a string from the
+       history list.  As an example:
+
+	    history(-10)
+
+       returns a string containing the 10th command on the
+       history list, if a such a value is in the history list
+       (empty string otherwise).  And:
+
+	    history(23)
+
+       return the string containing the 23rd command given to calc, if
+       such a value is in the history list (empty string otherwise).
+
+       One could use the eval() function to re-evaluate the command.
+
+    *  Allow one to optionally restore the command number to calc
+       prompts.  When going back in the history list, indicate the
+       command number that is being examined.
+
+       The command number was a useful item.  When one is scanning the
+       history list, knowing where you are is hard without it.  It can
+       get confusing when the history list wraps or when you use
+       search bindings.  Command numbers would be useful in
+       conjunction with positive args for the history() and histval()
+       functions as suggested above.
+
+    *  Add a builtin that returns the current command number.
+       For example:
+
+	    cmdnum()
+
+       returns the current command number.
+
+       This would allow one to tag a value in the history list.  One
+       could save the result of cmdnum() in a variable and later use
+       it as an arg to the histval() or history() functions.
+
+    *  Add a factoring builtin functions.  Provide functions that perform
+       multiple polynomial quadratic sieves, elliptic curve, difference
+       of two squares, N-1 factoring as so on.  Provide a easy general
+       factoring builtin (say factor(foo)) that would attempt to apply
+       whatever process was needed based on the value.
+
+       Factoring builtins would return a matrix of factors.
+
+       It would be handy to configure, via config(), the maximum time
+       that one should try to factor a number.  By default the time
+       should be infinite.  If one set the time limit to a finite
+       value and the time limit was exceeded, the factoring builtin
+       would return whatever if had found thus far, even if no new
+       factors had been found.
+
+       Another factoring configuration interface, via config(), that
+       is needed would be to direct the factoring builtins to return
+       as soon as a factor was found.
+
+    *  Allow one to config calc break up long output lines.
+
+       The command:  calc '2^100000'  will produce one very long
+       line.  Many times this is reasonable.  Long output lines
+       are a problem for some utilities.  It would be nice if one
+       could configure, via config(), calc to fold long lines.
+
+       By default, calc should continue to produce long lines.
+
+       One option to config should be to specify the length to
+       fold output.  Another option should be to append a trailing
+       \ on folded lines (as some symbolic packages use).
+
+    *  Allow one to use the READ and WRITE commands inside a function.
+
+    *  Remove or increase limits on factor(), lfactor(), isprime(),
+       nextprime(), and prevprime().  Currently these functions cannot
+       search for factors > 2^32.
+
+    *  Add read -once -try "filename" which would do nothing
+       if "filename" was not a readable file.
+
+    * Blocks should have the following features:
+
+        + read/write to/from files (ala fread/fwrite)
+
+	+ misc memory functions (ala memcpy, memcmp, memset,
+	  memchr, etc.)
+
+	+ scatter and gather functions (to send every n-th octet
+	  to another block and to copy from n blocks, the 1st
+	  then 2nd then 3rd ... octets)
+
+    * Printing of blocks should be under the control of the
+      config() interface.  This should allow one to select
+      from any of the following formats:
+
+	+ as one long string
+
+	+ as a series of lines (< 80 chars wide)
+
+	+ in od command style (offset: value value value ...)
+
+	+ in hex dump style (offset: val val val val ...  3hf.Uas.c)
+
+    * In addition one should be able to control the following
+      aspects of printing blocks via the config() interface:
+
+	+ base (hex, octal, char, base 2)
+
+	+ amount of data (the first n octets or the entire block)
+
+	+ skipping printing of duplicate print lines (ala od)
+
+	+ have the ability to print the block as raw data