reverse Polish syntax

[masraum]

Originally Posted by jyl

All hail the slide rule.

I think what the world needs is a digital slide rule. I mean one with a digital display on the cursor. So that those of us with crappy eyes can use the damn things.

My desk right now. Doesn't actually get any use, but I do know how to multiple on it without having to look it up.



I know how to add and subtract on the abacus too.

[TheMentat]

Thought this was funny:

[CurtEgerer]

Originally Posted by stomachmonkey

I still use my HP 11C daily.

Bought in 84'

I think it's only on it's 4th set of batteries.

Thing will probably outlive me.

A few months ago, I turned on my 11C and the display was blinking. WTF? Is this the end?! Please god, no. Just needed batteries. I know for a fact I haven't put batteries in it for at least 20 years Purchased new in 1981. I have much difficulty using standard calculators for anything beyond basic addition/subtraction! Before I had a PC, I had all sorts of engineering formulas programmed into this thing.



*Incredibly, these were made in the USA and could probably be used to drive nails in a pinch.

[scottmandue]

Someone correct me (as if I had to ask this group to do that).
But I thought that RPL was just the natural way computers processed computations?
Then later software was developed to input formulas in more people friendly format?

[Don Ro]

Originally Posted by masraum

Upon graduation from the Mechanical Engineering School at NDSU (North Dakota), I sold one just like that in a beautiful leather case and the 1911 .45 that I brought back from Viet Nam for $50 to a pawn broker in Fargo.
I needed the money, guys!

[masraum]

Originally Posted by Don Ro

Upon graduation from the Mechanical Engineering School at NDSU (North Dakota), I sold one just like that in a beautiful leather case and the 1911 .45 that I brought back from Viet Nam for $50 to a pawn broker in Fargo.
I needed the money, guys!

If you could choose just one to have now, which would it be.

[Don Ro]

Originally Posted by masraum

If you could choose just one to have now, which would it be.

Thanks! That's damn funny.

[winders]

Originally Posted by scottmandue

Someone correct me (as if I had to ask this group to do that).
But I thought that RPL was just the natural way computers processed computations?
Then later software was developed to input formulas in more people friendly format?

Not really.

Reverse Polish Notation (RPN) is a modification of Polish Notation (PN). PN was invented in the 1920's. PN, also known as Prefix Notation, has the operator before the operands while RPN, also known as Postfix Notation, has the operator after the operands. The idea of both was to avoid the need for parenthesis.

PN and RPN are essentially stack-based. Computers, at the machine level, have registers that can be used as stacks but this a different concept. Higher level languages can be stack-based. Postscript is one such example and it uses postfix notation. RPN, if anything, was the forerunner to stack-based higher level languages, not the other way around.