Practical considerations in changing the integer upgrade path?

[Michael G Schwern <schwern@pobox.com>]

Let's say I got hit on the head and tried to change how integers upgrade.
Going from...

	signed int -> unsigned int -> double -> "inf"

to...

	signed int -> signed bigger int [1] -> arbitrary precision

What are the practical considerations?

* How does one create a new SV type?
* How many points in the perl code would have to be changed?
* How do we avoid breaking existing XS?

And then there's the special consideration for arbitrary precision...

* How do we deal with a numeric scalar that can't use C numeric ops?

When's the last time this sort of thing was attempted?  Ponie?


[1]  Meaning something bigger than the native int.  On most machines this
would be a long long, but it's really whatever useful integer type configure
can dig up.

-- 
184. When operating a military vehicle I may *not* attempt something
     "I saw in a cartoon".
    -- The 213 Things Skippy Is No Longer Allowed To Do In The U.S. Army
           http://skippyslist.com/list/

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