Negative v. Positive numbers in debug panel

[gregorius]

Hi There,

Is there a reason why positive numbers are handled differently than negative number:

Here I could still have a negative hexadecimal, a negative date makes no sense. Howabout adding binary and octadecimal represenation to the toggling?

Just wondering whether that would be useful.

Cheers!

[Steve-Mcl]

@gregorius

adding binary and octadecimal represenation to the toggling

+1 from me.

[TotallyInformation]

@gregorius

Is there a reason why positive numbers are handled differently than negative number

Yes, because a positive number of a certain size could be a Date, a negative number could not (well, probably isn't anyway).

But I agree, it would be better to be consistent.

[dceejay]

for a negative hex number do you assume 16, 32 or 64 bit etc. How many F's do you want

[gregorius]

@dceejay

for a negative hex number do you assume 16, 32 or 64 bit

"-" + abs(NUM).toHex().toString()

[gregorius]

@TotallyInformation

negative number could not

I'm sure that somewhere, in some obscure corner of someones developer mind, an implementation was created were a negative number are the milliseconds BEFORE epoch - how do we represent dates before 1.1.1970? asked the product manager .... it was late on a Friday evening .... it was dark and stormy ... well the rest is history.

EDIT: Well I guess it was once dark and stormy at IBM

having commented out a few minor restrictions on integer values .... -1 suddenly becomes 1969-12-31 23:59:59 - for those born before epoch, a happy day!

[jbudd]

@TotallyInformation

a positive number ... could be a Date, a negative number could not (well, probably isn't anyway).

On September 9, 1947, at 15:45 Eastern Daylight Saving Time, Grace Hopper debugged the Harvard computer.

I think the timestamp for this moment is -252457650000
Or possibly not, since I asked AI to work it out.

It is believed that other things happened prior to 1st Jan 1970 too.

[Colin]

If you allow -ve dates, are you not causing the world to end after only half of its intended lifetime.

[gregorius]

@jbudd

-252457650000

apparently not.

[TotallyInformation]

@jbudd

It is believed that other things happened prior to 1st Jan 1970 too.

No, before that date, everything was in black and white and computers were merely lots of well-trained ants inside a case! That's what my kids think anyway.

I did caveat that statement though. Anyway, I did also agree that they should be the same.

@Colin

If you allow -ve dates, are you not causing the world to end after only half of its intended lifetime.

I thought the world DID actually end when the first AI was turned on - we are all just a simulation of our previous selves now which is why the world no longer makes any sense!

[gregorius]

@TotallyInformation

we are all just a simulation

couple days ago, there was an article over at HN that physicists just proved that we are not living in a simulation. So in the words of Douglas Adams: "We have reality. I repeat, we have reality. Anything you still can't cope with is therefore your own problem."

Anyway got what I wanted - binary & octa:

[jbudd]

@TotallyInformation

a simulation of our previous selves now

LMFTFY
a simulation of our previous slaves now

[TotallyInformation]

@gregorius

n article over at HN that physicists just proved that we are not living in a simulation

Ah, but that's what the AI's WANT you to think!

[gregorius]

@TotallyInformation

AI's WANT you to think!

Thin ice, very thin ice ---> Roko's basilisk