bit patterns of all ones

[msb at sq.UUCP]

> >Does ANSI explicitly require binary arithmetic?

Doug Gwyn responds:

> For purposes of signed<->unsigned conversion of parameters
> and bitwise operations, X3J11 decreed semantics "as if" a
> binary numeration system were used.  The underlying architecture
> can, however, be quite different, so long as the implementation
> properly mimics the abstract machine.

However, section 3.1.2.5, page 21, lines 38-39 of the Draft says:

# 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.

Mark Brader