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0 pointsDylan168079y ago0 comments

Why do you NEED a 64 bit int? Why not 32 bit? You're not storing pointers in a database. (And then you can implement your 32 bit int in terms of the 53 bits of int-capacity in a double.)

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StreamBright9y ago

Because I want to store something that is a 64bit int? I mean this is really a weird question. There are a lot of things that require this starting with timestamps:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Year_2038_problem

Dylan16807OP9y ago

Which you can store as two 32 bit integers, or one 53 bit integer. Nothing requires native 64 bit.

64 bit is nicer than 32 bit, but it's scarcely more necessary than 128 bit numbers.

jnordwick9y ago

datetimes, aggregations, etc. pretty much anything non-toy in the modern world requires 64 bit int.

like I said. read NEED as in you can certainly hobble around without it (pick an appropriate offset and read your 53 bits in relation to it), but like a fracture in a leg, it's still considered broken.

Dylan16807OP9y ago

What exactly do you mean by aggregations here?

If you want a good timestamp you probably want a timespec, and that won't fit in 64 bits anyway.

I don't see why it's easy to make 128+ bit types be composite, but you can't have 64 bit types be composite.

Your database driver can take care of how the bits are packed on the wire. It really shouldn't be a big concern.

SamReidHughes9y ago

A query optimizer might do a lot better with a native integer type than a user-defined one cobbled out of int32's. It knows all the mathematical properties of the type and add things in any order, knows that x < y implies x + 1 <= y, etc.

jnordwick9y ago

probably easier to have this convo in email (check my profile). HN iisn't quite setup for back and forth. I'm more than willing to see your point about about a 53-bit int. I think dev experience can be made more difficult as long as a you get compensation in other areas. Email me a "hi" and I'll respond, but it might have to wait until later in the day.

j / k navigate · click thread line to collapse

0 comments

StreamBright9y ago

Because I want to store something that is a 64bit int? I mean this is really a weird question. There are a lot of things that require this starting with timestamps:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Year_2038_problem

Dylan16807OP9y ago

Which you can store as two 32 bit integers, or one 53 bit integer. Nothing requires native 64 bit.

64 bit is nicer than 32 bit, but it's scarcely more necessary than 128 bit numbers.

jnordwick9y ago

datetimes, aggregations, etc. pretty much anything non-toy in the modern world requires 64 bit int.

Dylan16807OP9y ago

What exactly do you mean by aggregations here?

If you want a good timestamp you probably want a timespec, and that won't fit in 64 bits anyway.

I don't see why it's easy to make 128+ bit types be composite, but you can't have 64 bit types be composite.

Your database driver can take care of how the bits are packed on the wire. It really shouldn't be a big concern.

SamReidHughes9y ago

jnordwick9y ago

j / k navigate · click thread line to collapse