[Python-Dev] Store timestamps as decimal.Decimal objects

[Jim J. Jewett]

In http://mail.python.org/pipermail/python-dev/2012-February/116073.html
Nick Coghlan wrote:

> Besides, float128 is a bad example - such a type could just be
> returned directly where we return float64 now. (The only reason we
> can't do that with Decimal is because we deliberately don't allow
> implicit conversion of float values to Decimal values in binary
> operations).

If we could really replace float with another type, then there is
no reason that type couldn't be a nearly trivial Decimal subclass
which simply flips the default value of the (never used by any
caller) allow_float parameter to internal function _convert_other.

Since decimal inherits straight from object, this subtype could
even be made to inherit from float as well, and to store the lower-
precision value there.  It could even produce the decimal version
lazily, so as to minimize slowdown on cases that do not need the
greater precision.

Of course, that still doesn't answer questions on whether the higher
precision is a good idea ...

-jJ

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