xref: /freebsd/usr.bin/dc/dc.1 (revision f05cddf9)
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36.\"	@(#)dc.1	8.1 (Berkeley) 6/6/93
37.\"
38.Dd January 22, 2010
39.Dt DC 1
40.Os
41.Sh NAME
42.Nm dc
43.Nd desk calculator
44.Sh SYNOPSIS
45.Nm
46.Op Fl hxV
47.Op Fl e Ar expression
48.Op Fl f Ar filename
49.Op Ar filename
50.Sh DESCRIPTION
51.Nm
52is an arbitrary precision arithmetic package.
53The overall structure of
54.Nm
55is
56a stacking (reverse Polish) calculator i.e.\&
57numbers are stored on a stack.
58Adding a number pushes it onto the stack.
59Arithmetic operations pop arguments off the stack
60and push the results.
61See also the
62.Xr bc 1
63utility, which is a preprocessor for
64.Nm
65providing infix notation and a C-like syntax
66which implements functions and reasonable control
67structures for programs.
68The options are as follows:
69.Bl -tag -width Ds
70.It Fl e Ar expr , Fl Fl expression Ar expr
71Evaluate
72.Ar expression .
73If multiple
74.Fl e
75options are specified, they will be processed in the order given.
76If no
77.Ar filename
78argument is given, execution will stop after processing the expressions
79given on the command line,
80otherwise processing will continue with the contents of
81.Ar filename .
82.It Fl f Ar filename , Fl Fl file Ar filename
83Process the content of the given file before further calculations are done.
84If multiple
85.Fl f
86options are specified, they will be processed in the order given.
87.It Fl h , Fl Fl help
88Print short usage info.
89.It Fl V , Fl Fl version
90Print version info.
91.It Fl x
92Enable extended register mode.
93This mode is used by
94.Xr bc 1
95to allow more than 256 registers.
96See
97.Sx Registers
98for a more detailed description.
99.El
100.Pp
101Ordinarily,
102.Nm
103operates on decimal integers,
104but one may specify an input base, output base,
105and a number of fractional digits (scale) to be maintained.
106If an argument is given,
107input is taken from that file until its end,
108then from the standard input.
109Whitespace is ignored, except where it signals the end of a number,
110end of a line or when a register name is expected.
111The following constructions are recognized:
112.Bl -tag -width "number"
113.It Va number
114The value of the number is pushed on the stack.
115A number is an unbroken string of the digits 0\-9 and letters A\-F.
116It may be preceded by an underscore
117.Pq Sq _
118to input a negative number.
119A number may contain a single decimal point.
120A number may also contain the characters A\-F, with the values 10\-15.
121.It Cm "+ - / * % ~ ^"
122The
123top two values on the stack are added
124(+),
125subtracted
126(\-),
127multiplied (*),
128divided (/),
129remaindered (%),
130divided and remaindered (~),
131or exponentiated (^).
132The two entries are popped off the stack;
133the result is pushed on the stack in their place.
134Any fractional part of an exponent is ignored.
135.Pp
136For addition and subtraction, the scale of the result is the maximum
137of scales of the operands.
138For division the scale of the result is defined
139by the scale set by the
140.Ic k
141operation.
142For multiplication, the scale is defined by the expression
143.Sy min(a+b,max(a,b,scale)) ,
144where
145.Sy a
146and
147.Sy b
148are the scales of the operands, and
149.Sy scale
150is the scale defined by the
151.Ic k
152operation.
153For exponentiation with a non-negative exponent, the scale of the result is
154.Sy min(a*b,max(scale,a)) ,
155where
156.Sy a
157is the scale of the base, and
158.Sy b
159is the
160.Em value
161of the exponent.
162If the exponent is negative, the scale of the result is the scale
163defined by the
164.Ic k
165operation.
166.Pp
167In the case of the division and modulus operator (~),
168the resultant quotient is pushed first followed by the remainder.
169This is a shorthand for the sequence:
170.Bd -literal -offset indent -compact
171x y / x y %
172.Ed
173The division and modulus operator is a non-portable extension.
174.It Ic a
175Pop the top value from the stack.
176If that value is a number, compute the integer part of the number modulo 256.
177If the result is zero, push an empty string.
178Otherwise push a one character string by interpreting the computed value
179as an
180.Tn ASCII
181character.
182.Pp
183If the top value is a string, push a string containing the first character
184of the original string.
185If the original string is empty, an empty string is pushed back.
186The
187.Ic a
188operator is a non-portable extension.
189.It Ic c
190All values on the stack are popped.
191.It Ic d
192The top value on the stack is duplicated.
193.It Ic f
194All values on the stack are printed, separated by newlines.
195.It Ic G
196The top two numbers are popped from the stack and compared.
197A one is pushed if the top of the stack is equal to the second number
198on the stack.
199A zero is pushed otherwise.
200This is a non-portable extension.
201.It Ic I
202Pushes the input base on the top of the stack.
203.It Ic i
204The top value on the stack is popped and used as the
205base for further input.
206The initial input base is 10.
207.It Ic J
208Pop the top value from the stack.
209The recursion level is popped by that value and, following that,
210the input is skipped until the first occurrence of the
211.Ic M
212operator.
213The
214.Ic J
215operator is a non-portable extension, used by the
216.Xr bc 1
217command.
218.It Ic K
219The current scale factor is pushed onto the stack.
220.It Ic k
221The top of the stack is popped, and that value is used as
222a non-negative scale factor:
223the appropriate number of places
224are printed on output,
225and maintained during multiplication, division, and exponentiation.
226The interaction of scale factor,
227input base, and output base will be reasonable if all are changed
228together.
229.It Ic L Ns Ar x
230Register
231.Ar x
232is treated as a stack and its top value is popped onto the main stack.
233.It Ic l Ns Ar x
234The
235value in register
236.Ar x
237is pushed on the stack.
238The register
239.Ar x
240is not altered.
241Initially, all registers contain the value zero.
242.It Ic M
243Mark used by the
244.Ic J
245operator.
246The
247.Ic M
248operator is a non-portable extensions, used by the
249.Xr bc 1
250command.
251.It Ic N
252The top of the stack is replaced by one if the top of the stack
253is equal to zero.
254If the top of the stack is unequal to zero, it is replaced by zero.
255This is a non-portable extension.
256.It Ic n
257The top value on the stack is popped and printed without a newline.
258This is a non-portable extension.
259.It Ic O
260Pushes the output base on the top of the stack.
261.It Ic o
262The top value on the stack is popped and used as the
263base for further output.
264The initial output base is 10.
265.It Ic P
266The top of the stack is popped.
267If the top of the stack is a string, it is printed without a trailing newline.
268If the top of the stack is a number, it is interpreted as a
269base 256 number, and each digit of this base 256 number is printed as
270an
271.Tn ASCII
272character, without a trailing newline.
273.It Ic p
274The top value on the stack is printed with a trailing newline.
275The top value remains unchanged.
276.It Ic Q
277The top value on the stack is popped and the string execution level is popped
278by that value.
279.It Ic q
280Exits the program.
281If executing a string, the recursion level is
282popped by two.
283.It Ic R
284The top of the stack is removed (popped).
285This is a non-portable extension.
286.It Ic r
287The top two values on the stack are reversed (swapped).
288This is a non-portable extension.
289.It Ic S Ns Ar x
290Register
291.Ar x
292is treated as a stack.
293The top value of the main stack is popped and pushed on it.
294.It Ic s Ns Ar x
295The
296top of the stack is popped and stored into
297a register named
298.Ar x .
299.It Ic v
300Replaces the top element on the stack by its square root.
301The scale of the result is the maximum of the scale of the argument
302and the current value of scale.
303.It Ic X
304Replaces the number on the top of the stack with its scale factor.
305If the top of the stack is a string, replace it with the integer 0.
306.It Ic x
307Treats the top element of the stack as a character string
308and executes it as a string of
309.Nm
310commands.
311.It Ic Z
312Replaces the number on the top of the stack with its length.
313The length of a string is its number of characters.
314The length of a number is its number of digits, not counting the minus sign
315and decimal point.
316.It Ic z
317The stack level is pushed onto the stack.
318.It Cm \&[ Ns ... Ns Cm \&]
319Puts the bracketed
320.Tn ASCII
321string onto the top of the stack.
322If the string includes brackets, these must be properly balanced.
323The backslash character
324.Pq Sq \e
325may be used as an escape character, making it
326possible to include unbalanced brackets in strings.
327To include a backslash in a string, use a double backslash.
328.It Xo
329.Cm < Ns Va x
330.Cm > Ns Va x
331.Cm = Ns Va x
332.Cm !< Ns Va x
333.Cm !> Ns Va x
334.Cm != Ns Va x
335.Xc
336The top two elements of the stack are popped and compared.
337Register
338.Ar x
339is executed if they obey the stated
340relation.
341.It Xo
342.Cm < Ns Va x Ns e Ns Va y
343.Cm > Ns Va x Ns e Ns Va y
344.Cm = Ns Va x Ns e Ns Va y
345.Cm !< Ns Va x Ns e Ns Va y
346.Cm !> Ns Va x Ns e Ns Va y
347.Cm != Ns Va x Ns e Ns Va y
348.Xc
349These operations are variants of the comparison operations above.
350The first register name is followed by the letter
351.Sq e
352and another register name.
353Register
354.Ar x
355will be executed if the relation is true, and register
356.Ar y
357will be executed if the relation is false.
358This is a non-portable extension.
359.It Ic \&(
360The top two numbers are popped from the stack and compared.
361A one is pushed if the top of the stack is less than the second number
362on the stack.
363A zero is pushed otherwise.
364This is a non-portable extension.
365.It Ic {
366The top two numbers are popped from the stack and compared.
367A one is pushed if the top of stack is less than or equal to the
368second number on the stack.
369A zero is pushed otherwise.
370This is a non-portable extension.
371.It Ic \&!
372Interprets the rest of the line as a
373.Ux
374command.
375.It Ic \&?
376A line of input is taken from the input source (usually the terminal)
377and executed.
378.It Ic \&: Ns Ar r
379Pop two values from the stack.
380The second value on the stack is stored into the array
381.Ar r
382indexed by the top of stack.
383.It Ic \&; Ns Ar r
384Pop a value from the stack.
385The value is used as an index into register
386.Ar r .
387The value in this register is pushed onto the stack.
388.Pp
389Array elements initially have the value zero.
390Each level of a stacked register has its own array associated with
391it.
392The command sequence
393.Bd -literal -offset indent
394[first] 0:a [dummy] Sa [second] 0:a 0;a p La 0;a p
395.Ed
396.Pp
397will print
398.Bd -literal -offset indent
399second
400first
401.Ed
402.Pp
403since the string
404.Ql second
405is written in an array that is later popped, to reveal the array that
406stored
407.Ql first .
408.It Ic #
409Skip the rest of the line.
410This is a non-portable extension.
411.El
412.Ss Registers
413Registers have a single character name
414.Ar x ,
415where
416.Ar x
417may be any character, including space, tab or any other special character.
418If extended register mode is enabled using the
419.Fl x
420option and the register identifier
421.Ar x
422has the value 255, the next two characters are interpreted as a
423two-byte register index.
424The set of standard single character registers and the set of extended
425registers do not overlap.
426Extended register mode is a non-portable extension.
427.Sh EXAMPLES
428An example which prints the first ten values of
429.Ic n! :
430.Bd -literal -offset indent
431[la1+dsa*pla10>y]sy
4320sa1
433lyx
434.Ed
435.Pp
436Independent of the current input base, the command
437.Bd -literal -offset indent
438Ai
439.Ed
440.Pp
441will reset the input base to decimal 10.
442.Sh DIAGNOSTICS
443.Bl -diag
444.It %c (0%o) is unimplemented
445an undefined operation was called.
446.It stack empty
447for not enough elements on the stack to do what was asked.
448.It stack register '%c' (0%o) is empty
449for an
450.Ar L
451operation from a stack register that is empty.
452.It Runtime warning: non-zero scale in exponent
453for a fractional part of an exponent that is being ignored.
454.It divide by zero
455for trying to divide by zero.
456.It remainder by zero
457for trying to take a remainder by zero.
458.It square root of negative number
459for trying to take the square root of a negative number.
460.It index too big
461for an array index that is larger than 2048.
462.It negative index
463for a negative array index.
464.It "input base must be a number between 2 and 16"
465for trying to set an illegal input base.
466.It output base must be a number greater than 1
467for trying to set an illegal output base.
468.It scale must be a nonnegative number
469for trying to set a negative or zero scale.
470.It scale too large
471for trying to set a scale that is too large.
472A scale must be representable as a 32-bit unsigned number.
473.It Q command argument exceeded string execution depth
474for trying to pop the recursion level more than the current
475recursion level.
476.It Q command requires a number >= 1
477for trying to pop an illegal number of recursion levels.
478.It recursion too deep
479for too many levels of nested execution.
480.Pp
481The recursion level is increased by one if the
482.Ar x
483or
484.Ar ?\&
485operation or one of the compare operations resulting in the execution
486of register is executed.
487As an exception, the recursion level is not increased if the operation
488is executed as the last command of a string.
489For example, the commands
490.Bd -literal -offset indent
491[lax]sa
4921 lax
493.Ed
494.Pp
495will execute an endless loop, while the commands
496.Bd -literal -offset indent
497[laxp]sa
4981 lax
499.Ed
500.Pp
501will terminate because of a too deep recursion level.
502.It J command argument exceeded string execution depth
503for trying to pop the recursion level more than the current
504recursion level.
505.It mark not found
506for a failed scan for an occurrence of the
507.Ic M
508operator.
509.El
510.Sh SEE ALSO
511.Xr bc 1
512.Pp
513.An -nosplit
514.An L. L. Cherry ,
515.An R. Morris
516"DC \- An Interactive Desk Calculator"
517.Pa /usr/share/doc/usd/05.dc/ .
518.Sh STANDARDS
519The arithmetic operations of the
520.Nm
521utility are expected to conform to the definition listed in the
522.Xr bc 1
523section of the
524.St -p1003.2
525specification.
526.Sh HISTORY
527The
528.Nm
529command first appeared in
530.At v6 .
531A complete rewrite of the
532.Nm
533command using the
534.Xr bn 3
535big number routines first appeared in
536.Ox 3.5 .
537.Sh AUTHORS
538.An -nosplit
539The original version of the
540.Nm
541command was written by
542.An Robert Morris
543and
544.An Lorinda Cherry .
545The current version of the
546.Nm
547utility was written by
548.An Otto Moerbeek .
549