NAME
    base - set default output base

SYNOPSIS
    base([mode])

TYPES
    mode	real

    return	real

DESCRIPTION
    The base function allows one to specify how numbers should be
    printed.  The base function provides a numeric shorthand to the
    config("mode") interface.  With no args, base() will return the
    current mode.  With 1 arg, base(val) will set the mode according to
    the arg and return the previous mode.

    The following convention is used to declare modes:

	     base	equivalent
		      config("mode")'s

	       2	"binary"	base 2 fractions
			"bin"

	       8	"octal"		base 8 fractions
			"oct"

	      10	"real"		base 10 floating point
			"float"
			"default"

	     -10	"integer"	base 10 integers
			"int"

	      16	"hexadecimal"	base 16 fractions
			"hex"

	     1/3	"fraction"	base 10 fractions
			"frac"

	    1e20	"scientific"	base 10 scientific notation
			"sci"
			"exp"

    For convenience, any non-integer value is assumed to mean base 10
    fractions and any integer >= 2^64 is assumed to mean base 10
    scientific notation.

    These base() calls have the same meaning as config("mode", "fraction"):

	base(1/3)	base(0.1415)	base(16/37)

    These base() calls have the same meaning as config("mode", "scientific"):

	base(1e20)	base(2^64)	base(2^8191-1)

    However the base() function will only return one of the base values
    lised in the table above.

EXAMPLE
    > base()
	    10

    > base(8)
	    012

    > print 10
    012

LIMITS
    none

LINK LIBRARY
    int math_setmode(int newmode)

    NOTE: newmode must be one of MODE_DEFAULT, MODE_FRAC, MODE_INT,
	  MODE_REAL, MODE_EXP, MODE_HEX, MODE_OCTAL, MODE_BINARY

SEE ALSO
    config

## Copyright (C) 1999  Landon Curt Noll
##
## Calc is open software; you can redistribute it and/or modify it under
## the terms of the version 2.1 of the GNU Lesser General Public License
## as published by the Free Software Foundation.
##
## Calc is distributed in the hope that it will be useful, but WITHOUT
## ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of MERCHANTABILITY
## or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.	 See the GNU Lesser General
## Public License for more details.
##
## A copy of version 2.1 of the GNU Lesser General Public License is
## distributed with calc under the filename COPYING-LGPL.  You should have
## received a copy with calc; if not, write to Free Software Foundation, Inc.
## 59 Temple Place, Suite 330, Boston, MA  02111-1307, USA.
##
## @(#) $Revision: 29.2 $
## @(#) $Id: base,v 29.2 2000/06/07 14:02:33 chongo Exp $
## @(#) $Source: /usr/local/src/cmd/calc/help/RCS/base,v $
##
## Under source code control:	1994/09/30 00:09:39
## File existed as early as:	1994
##
## chongo <was here> /\oo/\	http://www.isthe.com/chongo/
## Share and enjoy!  :-)	http://www.isthe.com/chongo/tech/comp/calc/
