NAME

Math::BigInt::Constant - Arbitrary sized constant integers

SYNOPSIS

  use Math::BigInt::Constant;

  # Number creation     
  $x = Math::BigInt->new($str); # defaults to 0
  $nan  = Math::BigInt->bnan(); # create a NotANumber
  $zero = Math::BigInt->bzero();# create a "+0"

  # Testing
  $x->is_zero();                # return wether arg is zero or not
  $x->is_nan();                 # return wether arg is NaN or not
  $x->is_one();                 # return true if arg is +1
  $x->is_one('-');              # return true if arg is -1
  $x->is_odd();                 # return true if odd, false for even
  $x->is_even();                # return true if even, false for odd
  $x->is_inf($sign);            # return true if argument is +inf or -inf, give
                                # argument ('+' or '-') to match only same sign
  $x->bcmp($y);                 # compare numbers (undef,<0,=0,>0)
  $x->bacmp($y);                # compare absolutely (undef,<0,=0,>0)
  $x->sign();                   # return the sign, one of +,-,+inf,-inf or NaN

  # The following would modify and thus are illegal:

  # set 
  $x->bzero();                  # set $x to 0
  $x->bnan();                   # set $x to NaN

  $x->bneg();                   # negation
  $x->babs();                   # absolute value
  $x->bnorm();                  # normalize (no-op)
  $x->bnot();                   # two's complement (bit wise not)
  $x->binc();                   # increment x by 1
  $x->bdec();                   # decrement x by 1
  
  $x->badd($y);                 # addition (add $y to $x)
  $x->bsub($y);                 # subtraction (subtract $y from $x)
  $x->bmul($y);                 # multiplication (multiply $x by $y)
  $x->bdiv($y);                 # divide, set $x to quotient
                                # return (quo,rem) or quo if scalar

  $x->bmod($y);                 # modulus (x % y)
  $x->bpow($y);                 # power of arguments (x ** y)
  $x->blsft($y);                # left shift
  $x->brsft($y);                # right shift 
  
  $x->band($y);                 # bit-wise and
  $x->bior($y);                 # bit-wise inclusive or
  $x->bxor($y);                 # bit-wise exclusive or
  $x->bnot();                   # bit-wise not (two's complement)

  $x->bsqrt();                  # calculate square-root

  $x->round($A,$P,$round_mode); # round to accuracy or precision using mode $r
  $x->bround($N);               # accuracy: preserve $N digits
  $x->bfround($N);              # round to $Nth digit, no-op for BigInts

  # The following do not modify their arguments in BigInt, but do in BigFloat:
  $x->bfloor();                 # return integer less or equal than $x
  $x->bceil();                  # return integer greater or equal than $x 

  # The following do not modify their arguments and are ok:

  bgcd(@values);                # greatest common divisor
  blcm(@values);                # lowest common multiplicator
  
  $x->bstr();                   # return normalized string
  $x->length();                 # return number of digits in number

DESCRIPTION

This module let's you defined constant BigInt's on a per-object basis. The usual use Math::BigInt ':constant' will catch all integer constants in the script at compile time, but will not let you create constant values on the fly, nor work for strings and/or floating point constants like 1e5.

EXAMPLES

Opposed to compile-time checking via use constant:

        use Math::BigInt;
        use constant X => Math::BigInt->new(12345678);

        print X," ",X+2,"\n";           # okay
        print "X\n";                    # oups

these provide runtime checks and can be interpolated into strings:

        use Math::BigInt::Constant;

        $x = Math::BigInt::Constant->new(3141592);

        print "$x\n";                   # okay
        print $x+2,"\n";                # dito
        $x += 2;                        # not okay

BUGS

None discovered yet.

AUTHORS

Tels http://bloodgate.com in early 2001.