Really Dumb Suggestion

[Ed Nather]

[]
I recently suggested, with respect to using C for numerical
calculations, that an exponentiation operator would be a
helpful addition to the language.  I suggested "**" and,
without thinking about it, suggested "^" might be better.

This was dumb, as several people pointed out to me -- some
more tactfully than others.

	a**b

currently means "multiply a by the thing pointed to by b"
and I wouldn't want to change that.  Similarly,

	a^b

provides the "exclusive or" operation  -- one I don't use
very often, so I didn't think about it.

*sigh*

Mea Culpa.  Forgive me, for I knew not what I did.

-- 

                                       Ed Nather
                                       ihnp4!{ut-sally,kpno}!utastro!nather
                                       Astronomy Dept., U. of Texas, Austin