bit patterns of all ones

[gwyn at brl-smoke.UUCP]

In article <1987Jan26.132135.9624 at sq.uucp> msb at sq.UUCP (Mark Brader) writes:
># The values of integral types shall be interpreted in a pure
># binary numeration system.
>
>I see no "as if" here, and cannot make out that one is implied.

I think we're quibbling over inessentials here.  Does use of
"interpreted in" imply "internally represented in" or "as if
internally represented in"?  I think the latter, but the
important point is that the underlying "abstract machine"
that executes the C program must behave like a binary one.