At 08:48 AM 12/31/98 -0500, Gilles Schipper wrote:
>As for the bit about inflexibility with respect to packed digit and being
>too big to fit in an integer, I don't understand the problem here. Is the
>largest number possible in a packed-decimal that much greater than that
>possible in an integer item? I don't have the answer at hand, but I would
>be surprised if that were an issue in many cases at all.

In a 2 word (64 bit) region of binary flavored memory, you can fit 18 digits
of numeric significance, and in the same size of BCD (packed) flavored
space, you can fit 16 digits, so there is actually something to be said for
binary over packed. The major advantage of packed is that it is easier to
interpret on a hexadecimal display of memory.

Tony