%% \CharacterTable
%%  {Upper-case    \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
%%   Lower-case    \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
%%   Digits        \0\1\2\3\4\5\6\7\8\9
%%   Exclamation   \!     Double quote  \"     Hash (number) \#
%%   Dollar        \$     Percent       \%     Ampersand     \&
%%   Acute accent  \'     Left paren    \(     Right paren   \)
%%   Asterisk      \*     Plus          \+     Comma         \,
%%   Minus         \-     Point         \.     Solidus       \/
%%   Colon         \:     Semicolon     \;     Less than     \<
%%   Equals        \=     Greater than  \>     Question mark \?
%%   Commercial at \@     Left bracket  \[     Backslash     \\
%%   Right bracket \]     Circumflex    \^     Underscore    \_
%%   Grave accent  \`     Left brace    \{     Vertical bar  \|
%%   Right brace   \}     Tilde         \~}
%\iffalse
%
% (c) copyright 2003 A Syropoulos & RWD Nickalls
% This program can be redistributed and/or modified under the terms
% of the LaTeX Project Public License Distributed from CTAN
% archives in directory macros/latex/base/lppl.txt; either
% version 1 of the License, or any later version.
%
% However, the above copyright notice does not apply in the case of
% ``Crete University Press'' as this publisher is not allowed to
% use or alter this file in any way.
%
% Please report errors or suggestions for improvement to
%    
%    Apostolos Syropoulos        and/or  Dick Nickalls
%    apostolo@obelix.ee.duth.gr          dicknickalls@compuserve.com
%
%\fi
% \CheckSum{21}
% \iffalse This is a Metacomment
%
%<decimal, >\ProvidesFile{decimal.sty}
%
%<decimal, >  [2003/07/12 v1.0 Package `decimal.sty']
%
%    \begin{macrocode}
%<*driver>
\documentclass{ltxdoc}
\usepackage{decimal}
\newcommand{\hidot}{\ensuremath{\raise.95ex\hbox{.}}}
\GetFileInfo{decimal.drv}
\begin{document}
   \DocInput{decimal.dtx}
\end{document}
%</driver>
%    \end{macrocode}
% \fi
%\StopEventually{}
%\MakeShortVerb{\|}
%\title{The `decimal' package}
%\author{A.Syropoulos and R.W.D.Nickalls}
% \date{2003/07/12}
%\maketitle
% \begin{abstract}
% In traditional English typography the decimal point in printed as
% slightly raised dot. This little package provides this functionallity
% by making the period (``.'') active in math mode. In addition, we
% redefine the commad |\.| so that it produces a dot in math mode, while
% it retains its ordinary functionality in text mode. 
%\end{abstract}
%
% \section{Introduction}
% The decimal point is variously used as  a comma (European), a
% full point (North American), or as a raised full point (English).
% While the comma and full point have always been supported,
% the English decimal point has been somewhat overlooked---until now.
%
% The \textsl{decimal} package places the height of the decimal
% point level with the center of the `equals' sign, as shown by 
% $x=0.3456$, by re-implementing a math mode full point as the 
% |\cdot| character. However, in old texts the practice was to place
% the full point rather higher, as in $25{\hidot}345$. While this is a bit 
% too high for visual comfort nowadays, the reason for the original high
% position lies in the name used by metal type-setters for the decimal point, 
% namely a ``turned' full point, as mentioned in the following extract from 
% an $80$~year-old \textsl{Authors' \& Printers' Dictionary}.%
% \footnote{Collins H (1921). Authors' \& Printers' Dictionary: a guide for 
% authors, editors, printers, correctors of the press, compositors, and 
% typists. With a full list of abbreviations. An attempt to codify the best
% typographical practices of the present day. (pub: Humphrey Milford, 
% London).}
%
%\begin{center}
%\begin{minipage}{0.7\textwidth}
%\begin{itemize}
% \item [\ ]\textbf{\hspace{-5mm}decimal fractions}, no decimal can be plural,
% or take verb in pl., however many figures it contains; (typ.)
% print in figures. The decimal
% point in all cases to be a full point turned.
%\end{itemize}
%\end{minipage}
%\end{center}
%
% But what is meant by a full point `turned'? The clue comes from an entry 
% in the dictionary on `turned commas', as follows.
%\begin{center}
%\begin{minipage}{0.7\textwidth}
%\begin{itemize}
%  \item [\ ]\textbf{\hspace{-5mm}turned commas} (typ.),
%   those used at the commencement of a quotation, as these~``, two
%   apostrophes being  at the end.
%\end{itemize}
%\end{minipage}
%\end{center}
% If we  use a turned comma to  show the location  a  full point would occupy 
% if `turned' in the same way,  we  can see that the position is somewhat 
% high, as in the decimal fraction $2$`$6$. Swapping the turned
% comma for a similarly turned full point we obtain~$2{\hidot}6$, which 
% shows the decimal point in essentially the position we observe in older 
% texts. All is now clear---the typesetter simply turned the metal block of 
% the full point through $180\deg$ and, \textsl{eh presto}, he had a practical
%  decimal point, albeit slightly on the high side.
%
% \section{Usage}
%
% First use  the \textsl{decimal} package using the |\usepackage{}| command 
% in the preamble.
%\begin{center}
% |\usepackage{decimal}|
%\end{center}
% The \textsl{decimal} package will now operate globally to
% implement the English decimal point where one types a fullpoint in
% math mode. For example the value $123.456$ is obtained by typing
% |$123.456$|. The correct positioning of the decimal is preserved even
% when the smaller mathmode fonts are used, as shown in the following two 
% examples.
% $$
%  23.562^{1.23^{\,2.6}}\hspace{2cm}
%  j = \sqrt{  \underbrace{{ax^2 + bx +c }}_{-3.78} \ +\cos(3\pi/4 +\theta)}
% $$
%
% On those occasions when a true full point is
% required in math mode (e.g.~at the end of a series of equations)
% then this is implemented by typing |\.|. For example
% $$
%   y = ax^2 + bx +c\.
% $$
% is obtained by typing |$y = ax^2 + bx +c\.$|.
%
% It is important to appreciate that there are math mode commands which 
% include a full point as an integral part of the command, and in these cases 
% one must, of course,  \textsl{not} use the |\.| command. A common situation 
% where this arises is in the typesetting of unbalanced vertical braces, in 
% which case a full point is used by one of the commands to represent the 
% absent brace. For example, the structure
% $$
% \left\{
% \begin{array}{l}
% \displaystyle   x = -b/6 \\
% \displaystyle   y = (4ac - b^2)/7
% \end{array}
% \right.
% $$
% is typeset by the following code
%\begin{verbatim}
% $$
% \left\{
%   \begin{array}{l}
%   \displaystyle   x =  -b/6 \\
%   \displaystyle   y = (4ac - b^2)/7
%   \end{array}
% \right.
% $$
%\end{verbatim}
% which uses the command \verb!\right.! to balance the left brace
% command \verb!\left\{! before the array. Since the full point
% is part of the command then there is no need to use the |\.| command.
% If we now add some punctuation to the above structure, say, a
% comma terminating the first line and a full point to terminate
% the second line as follows,
% $$
%  \left\{
% \begin{array}{l}
%  \displaystyle   x = -b/6, \\
%  \displaystyle   y = (4ac - b^2)/3\.
% \end{array}
% \right.
% $$
% then we  add the full point using
% the command |\.|  as shown in the following code.
%\begin{verbatim}
% $$
% \left\{
%  \begin{array}{l}
%   \displaystyle   x =  -b/6, \\
%   \displaystyle   y = (4ac - b^2)/7\.
%  \end{array}
% \right.
%
%\end{verbatim}
% Outside math mode the command \verb!\.! performs its usual
% function of placing a dot above a character, for example
% the command \verb!\.{a}! generates the  \.{a} character.
%
% \section{The Implementation}
%
% The code of the package is quite simple. Initially, we introduce a new
% command which has the functionality of the |\.| command. Then we redefine
% the |\.| command so that it produces a dot in math mode, while it 
% retains its original functionality in text mode.
%    \begin{macrocode}
%<*decimal>
\let\peri@d\.
\def\.{\ifmmode\mbox{.}\else\expandafter\peri@d\fi}
%    \end{macrocode}
% One thing we need to do is to define a new math command which will yield a 
% |\cdot| without any leading or trailing white space. 
%    \begin{macrocode}
\DeclareMathSymbol{\cd@t}{\mathord}{symbols}{"01}
%    \end{macrocode}
% Now, we are ready to change the mathcode of the period so that it produces
% the desired result in math mode. Note that this ``trick'' is documented
% in the \TeX{}book and in the book ``Digital Typography Using \LaTeX,''
% Springer-Verlag New York, ISBN 0-387-95217-9, 2003.   
%    \begin{macrocode}
\mathcode`\.="8000
{\catcode`\.=\active%
 \gdef.{\cd@t} }
%</decimal>
%    \end{macrocode}
%
% \Finale