[Python-Dev] Revised decimal type PEP

[Aahz Maruch]

Michael McLay wrote:
> 
> I had originally expected the context for decimal calculations to be  
> the module in which a statement is defined.  If a function defined    
> in another module is called the rules of that other module would be   
> applied to that part of the calculation.  My expectations of how      
> Python would work with decimal numbers doesn't seem to match what     
> Guido said about his conversation with Tim, and what you said in this 
> message.                                                              
>
> How can the rules for using decimals be stated so that a newbie can
> understand what they should expect to happen?  We could set a default
> precision of 17 digits and all calculations that were not exact would
> be rounded to 17 digits.  This would match how their calculator works.
> I would think this would be the model with the least suprises.  For
> someone needing to be more precise, or less precise, how would this
> rule be modified?

I intend to have more discussions with Cowlishaw once I finish
implementing his spec, but I suspect his answer will be that whoever
calls the module should set the precision.
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