dc(1) dc(1)
NAME
dc - desk calculator
SYNOPSIS
dc [file]
DESCRIPTION
dc is an arbitrary precision arithmetic package. Ordinarily
it operates on decimal integers, but one may specify an input
base, output base, and a number of fractional digits to be
maintained. [bc is a preprocessor for dc that provides infix
notation and a C-like syntax that implements functions. bc
also provides reasonable control structures for programs. See
bc(1).] The overall structure of dc is a stacking (reverse
Polish) calculator. If an argument is given, input is taken
from that file until its end, then from the standard input.
The following constructions are recognized:
number
The value of the number is pushed on the stack. A
number is an unbroken string of the digits 0-9. It may
be preceded by an underscore (_) to input a negative
number. Numbers may contain decimal points.
+ - / * % ^
The top two values on the stack are added (+),
subtracted (-), multiplied (*), divided (/), remaindered
(%), or exponentiated (^). The two entries are popped
off the stack; the result is pushed on the stack in
their place. Any fractional part of an exponent is
ignored.
sx The top of the stack is popped and stored into a
register named x, where x may be any character. If the
s is capitalized, x is treated as a stack and the value
is pushed on it.
lx The value in register x is pushed on the stack. The
register x is not altered. All registers start with
zero value. If the l is capitalized, register x is
treated as a stack and its top value is popped onto the
main stack.
d The top value on the stack is duplicated.
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dc(1) dc(1)
p The top value on the stack is printed. The top value
remains unchanged.
P Interprets the top of the stack as an ASCII string,
removes it, and prints it.
f All values on the stack are printed.
q Exits the program. If executing a string, the recursion
level is popped by two.
Q Exits the program. The top value on the stack is popped
and the string execution level is popped by that value.
x Treats the top element of the stack as a character
string and executes it as a string of dc commands.
X Replaces the number on the top of the stack with its
scale factor.
[ . . . ]
Puts the bracketed ASCII string onto the top of the
stack.
<x >x =x
The top two elements of the stack are popped and
compared. Register x is evaluated if they obey the
stated relation.
v Replaces the top element on the stack by its square
root. Any existing fractional part of the argument is
taken into account, but otherwise the scale factor is
ignored.
! Interprets the rest of the line as a UNIX system
command.
c All values on the stack are popped.
i The top value on the stack is popped and used as the
number radix for further input.
I Pushes the input base on the top of the stack.
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dc(1) dc(1)
o The top value on the stack is popped and used as the
number radix for further output.
O Pushes the output base on the top of the stack.
k The top of the stack is popped, and that value is used
as a non-negative scale factor: the appropriate number
of places are printed on output, and maintained during
multiplication, division, and exponentiation. The
interaction of scale factor, input base, and output base
will be reasonable if all are changed together.
z The stack level is pushed onto the stack.
Z Replaces the number on the top of the stack with its
length.
? A line of input is taken from the input source (usually
the terminal) and executed.
; : are used by bc(1) for array operations.
EXAMPLES
This example prints the first ten values of n!:
[la1+dsa*pla10>y]sy
0sa1
lyx
REFERENCES
bc(1)
DIAGNOSTICS
x is unimplemented: x is an octal number.
stack empty: not enough elements on the stack to do what was
asked.
Out of space: the free list is exhausted (too many digits).
Out of headers: too many numbers being kept around.
Out of pushdown: too many items on the stack.
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dc(1) dc(1)
Nesting Depth: too many levels of nested execution.
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