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The Big_Number package


Last revised : July 8, 2001



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Introduction
History of this package
Installation
Contacts
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Introduction

I am Jerome Delcourt and, in this page, I present the package Big_Number I wrote in Ada 95. It allows computations on big integers, signed or unsigned, and on big fractions.

This package was first designed for a personnal use, but it is available on Internet since version 0.05. Since it is only for educational purpose, this package is provided ''AS IS'' and without any express or implied warranties, including, without limitation, the implied warranties of merchantability and fitness for a particular purpose.

Since version 0.07, before each release of a new version, this package is tested by computing the first 2,500 decimal digits of the number PI, with 3 different methods. This computation is not an exhaustive test, because all the functions are not tested, and because all the possible tests are not done with each tested functions. So, DO NOT consider that this package is bug free even if these tests run OK.

For bug reports, please contact me here, and describe the situation where this error occurs. As soon as the corrected version is available, I will sent it to you and it will appear in this site.

If you have any idea to improve this package, don't hesitate to send me your modified code. You will then appear as a co-author of this package.

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Installation and compilation of the package

Copy the file big_0_28.zip in your package directory, and dezip it keeping the same directory structure (for example with the PKWare utility : pkunzip -d big_0_28.zip). The directory big_numb and its subdirectory will be automatically created.

Then, if you use the GNAT compiler, choose the right makefile in the directory BIG_NUMB (MAKEFILE.DOS for DOS operating system, or MAKEFILE.OTH for any other operating system that allows long file names) and rename it to MAKEFILE. So you compile this package with the MAKE utility.

You can do the same kind of operation if you want the examples : there are 3 different methods to compute the number Pi in the directory PI.

If you have any problem during the compilation of this package, don't hesitate to contact me. I think that the only problem you may have is to modify the MAKEFILEs if you use any other Ada 95 compiler.

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Contacts

For all your remarks and suggestions about this page or this package, you can contact me at bignumber@chez.com.

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