Decimal computer Decimal computer Decimal computers are computers which can represent numbers and addresses in decimal as well as providing instructions to operate on those numbers and addresses directly in decimal, without conversion to a pure binary representation. Some also had a variable wordlength, which enabled operations on numbers with a large number of digits. Early computers that were exclusively decimal include the ENIAC, IBM NORC, IBM 650, IBM 1620, IBM 7070. In these machines, the basic unit of data was the decimal digit, encoded in one of several schemes, including binary-coded decimal or BCD, bi-quinary, excess-3, and two-out-of-five code. Except for
Decimal separator an Arabic decimal separator () (in hex U+066B) in Unicode. An Arabic thousands separator () also exists. In Persian, the decimal separator is called "momayyez", which is written like a forward slash—there is a small difference between the "upside-down (Persian) comma" character used in sentences and the "Latin" comma () (in hex U+066B) used to separate sequences of three digits. To separate sequences of three digits, a Latin comma or blank space may be used; however this is not a standard. In English Braille, the decimal point, , is distinct from both the comma, , and the full stop, .