Re: In CVS Emacs, calc-eval gives multiplication higher precidence than division

[Lennart Borgman (gmail)]

Stefan Monnier wrote:
>> What Calc does now is clearly correct.
> 
> And we clearly disagree.


On way of getting out of this trouble would perhaps be to distinguish
between an explicit and an implicit `*'. In the explicit case the normal
precedence rules should be used, but in the implicit case the current
precedence rules might be used instead. The basis for this would be that
way allude on the common formula notation.

Doing this then

  8 / 2 * 2 = (8 / 2) * 2 = 8

and

  8 / 2 2 => 8 / (2 * 2) = 2

The first example above follow normal math syntax and semantics. The
second example is rather close to what is often used in formulas, like

  ax/by + cz => (a * x) / (b * y) + c * z

Normally this kind of syntax is of course used in a well defined context
where you want a short notation for formulas. But it looks like Calc has
been striving towards the second in an attempt to make it easier to
enter data. I don't think that this is a bad idea.

The goal to make it easier to enter data have been reach, but
unfortunately a by product has been that Calc mixes the two common cases
of syntax/semantics that are most widely used as far as I know.

However in my opinion distinguishing the cases like above might be a
good solution.