Hi Garrett,

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Interesting. One question, though:

> varDec1 = 3.1255
> varDec4 = 2.5567
> ? 'literal product ',3.1*2.5567 && i aspected 4 decimals
> ? 'literal division ',3.1/2.5567 && i wish full decimals
> ? 'variable division ',m.varDec1/m.varDec4 && i wish full decimals
> ? 'integer exponentation ',3.1^8 && i wish 8 decimals
> ? 'fractional exponentation ',3.1^2.5567 && i wish full decimals
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A typed error:

? 'literal product 		',3.1*2.5567	&& i aspected 5 decimals

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Did you mean the numbers in the above to match -- in other words, did you intend to use 3.1255 in your literals, as well as your variables?
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Numbers are not important, important is the rules that VFP use for set result decimals;
rule change with type operation and type of source.

Code for focus on division

SET FIXED OFF
SET TALK OFF
CLEAR

FOR nDec=0 TO 11 STEP 5
	? TRANSFORM(m.nDec,'@R -------- SET DECIMAL TO 99 ----------')

	SET DECIMALS TO m.nDec

	varDec1 = 3.1255
	varDec4 = 2.5567
	
	? 'literal division		',3.1255/2.5567
	? 'literal division		',3.1255/m.varDec4
	? 'literal division		',m.varDec1/2.5567
	? 'variable division	   ',m.varDec1/m.varDec4				&& you can see another problem, ? command put N*NumVariables spaces
	RELEASE varDec1,varDec4
NEXT
?
? '******* Rule to compute decimals on division *******'
? 'literal division		decResult = MAX(sum(decItems),setDecimal)'
? 'variable division	decResult = MAX(4,setDecimal+2)'

If you want my opinion, the best choice, for any computation, is:

decResult = MAX(decimalForExpression,setDecimaltoValue)

because with SET DECIMAL TO 0 i can remove the MAX and use only decimalForExpression,
or i can set a minimum decimal for any computation.

For decimalForExpression math rules can to be used ( and VFP use they in some cases):

addition : MAX(member1Decimal,member2Decimal,...)
product  : SUM(member1Decimal,member2Decimal,...)
...

The principle is : only 1 rule that the developer it must remember

This is only my opinion, for simplified my job.

Fabio