README for Number::Latin
                                       Time-stamp: "2001-02-22 16:13:10 MST"

                           Number::Latin

[Partially excerpted from the POD.]
NAME
    Number::Latin -- convert to/from the number system "a,b,...z,aa,ab..."

SYNOPSIS
      use Number::Latin;
      print join(' ', map int2latin($_), 1 .. 30), "\n";
       #
       # Prints:
       #  a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa ab ac ad

DESCRIPTION
    Some applications, notably the numbering of points in
    outlines, use a scheme that starts with the letter "a", goes
    to "z", and then starts over with "aa" thru "az", then "ba",
    and so on.  (The W3C refers to this numbering system as
    "lower-latin"/"upper-latin" or "lower alpha"/"upper alpha",
    in discussions of HTML/CSS options for rendering of list
    elements (OL/LI).)

    This module provides functions that deal with that numbering
    system, converting between it and integer values.

    FUNCTIONS

    This module exports four functions, int2latin, int2Latin,
    int2LATIN, and latin2int:

    $latin = int2latin( INTEGER )
         This returns the INTEGERth item in the sequence ('a' ..
         'z', 'aa', 'ab', etc).  For example, int2latin(1) is
         "a", int2latin(2) is "b", int2latin(26) is "z",
         int2latin(30) is "ad", and so for any nonzero integer.

    $latin = int2Latin( INTEGER )
         This is just like int2latin, except that the return
         value is has an initial capital.  E.g., int2Latin(30)
         is "Ad".

    $latin = int2LATIN( INTEGER )
         This is just like int2latin, except that the return
         value is in all uppercase.  E.g., int2LATIN(30) is
         "AD".

    $latin = latin2int( INTEGER )
         This converts back from latin number notation
         (regardless of capitalization!) to an integer value.
         E.g., latin2int("ad") is 30.

NOTES
    The latin numbering system is not to be confused with Roman
    numerals, in spite of their names.

    The latin numbering system isn't a normal base-N number
    system (thus making this module necessary), as evidenced by
    the fact that the item after "z" is "aa".  If you considered
    this to be a base-26 numbering system (running from a-z for
    0-25), then after "z" would be "ba"; if you considered it a
    base-27 numbering system (running from a-z for 1-26), then
    after "z" would be "a" followed by some sort of placeholder
    zero.  But it's neither.

    I vaguely remember reading, years ago, of some languages (in
    New Guinea?) with count-number systems that work like the
    latin number system -- i.e., where either the number after
    "nine" is "one-MULT one", or the number after "ten" is
    "one-MULT one".  However, I haven't been able to find a
    reference for exactly what language(s) those were number
    system; I welcome email on the subject.

COPYRIGHT
    Copyright (c) 1997- by Abigail, and 2001- Sean M. Burke.
    All rights reserved.

    This library is free software; you can redistribute it
    and/or modify it under the same terms as Perl itself.

SEE ALSO
    the Roman manpage

    http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-CSS2/generate.html#lists

    http://people.netscape.com/ftang/i18n.html

    http://people.netscape.com/ftang/number/draft.html

AUTHOR
    Initial implementation in a comp.lang.perl.misc post by
    Abigail ([email protected]) in 1997.  Documentation, further
    doings, and current maintenance by Sean M. Burke,
    [email protected]

[End of POD excerpt]

PREREQUISITES

This suite requires Perl 5; I've only used it under Perl 5.004 and
higher, so for anything lower, you're on your own.

Number::Latin doesn't use any nonstandard modules.


INSTALLATION

You install Number::Latin, as you would install any perl module
library, by running these commands:

  perl Makefile.PL
  make
  make test
  make install

If you want to install a private copy of Number::Latin in your home
directory, then you should try to produce the initial Makefile with
something like this command:

 perl Makefile.PL LIB=~/perl

Or see perldoc perlmodinstall


DOCUMENTATION

POD-format documentation is included in Latin.pm.  POD is readable
with the 'perldoc' utility.  See ChangeLog for recent changes.


MACPERL INSTALLATION NOTES

You needn't bother with the makefiles.  Just make a Number directory
in your MacPerl site_lib or lib directory, and move Latin.pm into
there.


SUPPORT

Questions, bug reports, useful code bits, and suggestions for
Number::Latin should just be sent to me at [email protected]


AVAILABILITY

The latest version of Number::Latin is available from the
Comprehensive Perl Archive Network (CPAN).  Visit
<http://www.perl.com/CPAN/> to find a CPAN site near you.

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