C on non-binary machines [was Re: Structured Fortran - was Re: ...]

[Mouse]

> As far as I can remember, the C standard still do not require that
> the computer uses two complement.

No, but unsigned integer types have to work as if it did.  Signed
integer types may use two's complement, one's complement, or even
sign/magnitude, but nothing else; for example, implementing signed
integers with base -2 is not permitted.  6.2.6.2 in the very late C99
draft I have, notes manually edited in:

       [#2]  For  signed  integer  types,  the  bits  of the object
       representation shall be divided  into  three  groups:  value
       bits, padding bits, and the sign bit.  There need not be any
       padding bits; there shall be exactly one sign bit.  Each bit
       that  is  a  value bit shall have the same value as the same
       bit  in  the  object  representation  of  the  corresponding
       unsigned  type (if there are M value bits in the signed type
       and N in the unsigned type, then M<=N).  If the sign bit  is
       zero,  it shall not affect the resulting value.  If the sign
       bit is one, the value  shall  be  modified  in  one  of  the
       following ways:

         -- the  corresponding  value  with  sign  bit 0 is negated
            (sign and magnitude);

         -- the sign bit has the value -(2N) (two's complement);
(that's -(2^N), mangled by textification)

         -- the sign bit has the value -(2N-1) (one's complement).
(that's -((2^N)-1), mangled by textification)

       Which of these  applies  is  implementation-defined,  as  is
       whether  the  value  with sign bit 1 and all value bits zero
       (for the first two), or with sign bit and all value  bits  1
       (for one's complement), is a trap representation or a normal
       value.   In  the  case  of  sign  and  magnitude  and  one's
       complement,  if  this representation is a normal value it is
       called a negative zero.
...
       [#5]  The  values  of any padding bits are unspecified.45) A
(the "45)" is a footnote reference)
       valid (non-trap) object representation of a  signed  integer
       type   where  the  sign  bit  is  zero  is  a  valid  object
       representation of the corresponding unsigned type, and shall
       represent the same value.

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