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Discussion on: Data Types, Variables and Constants in C++

 
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Paul J. Lucas

There's a distinction between the numeric value and how that value is expressed or printed. 3.14 is a floating-point number printed in a base 10, that is using decimal digits. However, the same floating point number can also be printed in any arbitrary base, e.g., base 2 (using binary digits), base 8 (using octal digits), or base 16 (using hexadecimal digits). For example, see here. Not that neither C nor C++ supports any "point" other than a decimal point, but that doesn't invalidate the concepts.