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.
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.

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 and in registers are printed.

q Exits the program. If executing a string, the recursion
level is popped by two. If q is capitalized, 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 executed 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 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.

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 for array operations.

An example which prints the first ten values of n! is

[la1+dsa*pla10>y]sy
0sa1
lyx

SEE ALSO
bc(1), which is a preprocessor for dc providing infix notation and
a C-like syntax which implements functions and reasonable control
structures for programs.

DIAGNOSTICS
‘x is unimplemented’ where x is an octal number.
‘stack empty’ for not enough elements on the stack to do what was
asked.
‘Out of space’ when the free list is exhausted (too many digits).
‘Out of headers’ for too many numbers being kept around.
‘Out of pushdown’ for too many items on the stack.
‘Nesting Depth’ for too many levels of nested execution.

BUGS
The f command didn’t print the register values.