calc: Fraction Formats
7.7.5 Fraction Formats
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Display of fractional numbers is controlled by the ‘d o’
(‘calc-over-notation’) command. By default, a number like eight thirds
is displayed in the form ‘8:3’. The ‘d o’ command prompts for a one- or
two-character format. If you give one character, that character is used
as the fraction separator. Common separators are ‘:’ and ‘/’. (During
input of numbers, the ‘:’ key must be used regardless of the display
format; in particular, the ‘/’ is used for RPN-style division, _not_ for
entering fractions.)
If you give two characters, fractions use
“integer-plus-fractional-part” notation. For example, the format ‘+/’
would display eight thirds as ‘2+2/3’. If two colons are present in a
number being entered, the number is interpreted in this form (so that
the entries ‘2:2:3’ and ‘8:3’ are equivalent).
It is also possible to follow the one- or two-character format with a
number. For example: ‘:10’ or ‘+/3’. In this case, Calc adjusts all
fractions that are displayed to have the specified denominator, if
possible. Otherwise it adjusts the denominator to be a multiple of the
specified value. For example, in ‘:6’ mode the fraction ‘1:6’ will be
unaffected, but ‘2:3’ will be displayed as ‘4:6’, ‘1:2’ will be
displayed as ‘3:6’, and ‘1:8’ will be displayed as ‘3:24’. Integers are
also affected by this mode: 3 is displayed as ‘18:6’. Note that the
format ‘:1’ writes fractions the same as ‘:’, but it writes integers as
‘n:1’.
The fraction format does not affect the way fractions or integers are
stored, only the way they appear on the screen. The fraction format
never affects floats.
Info Catalog
calc: Complex Formats
calc: Display Modes
calc: HMS Formats