that doesn't accept hex or octal constants

You're conflating the issue. Mixing apples and blackberries in an attempt to make sanyos.

Perl does accept hex or octal (and binary to boot) constants anywhere it accepts a decimal constant:

print  for 65, 0x41, 0101, 0b1000001;;
65
65
65
65

[download]

In addition, it also accepts a string containing a decimal constant, anywhere it takes a number:

print 65 + 0x41 + 0101 + 0x1000001 + "3.141592653589793238462643383279
+5e001";;
16777443.4159265

[download]

Making it more flexible than most other languages.

The fact that it does not also accept strings containing non-decimal numeric values is not a language flaw; but a design decision, which if you think about it a little, makes perfect sense.

A string containing just decimal digits, can only be a number.

A string containing "OX84AB97" could be a color code; and one containing "007 James Bond" ...

With the rise and rise of 'Social' network sites: 'Computers are making people easier to use everyday'
Examine what is said, not who speaks -- Silence betokens consent -- Love the truth but pardon error.
"Science is about questioning the status quo. Questioning authority". I knew I was on the right track :)
In the absence of evidence, opinion is indistinguishable from prejudice.

In reply to Re^5: why are hex values not numbers? by BrowserUk
in thread why are hex values not numbers? by perl-diddler

Title:
Use:  <p> text here (a paragraph) </p>
and:  <code> code here </code>
to format your post, it's "PerlMonks-approved HTML":


  • Posts are HTML formatted. Put <p> </p> tags around your paragraphs. Put <code> </code> tags around your code and data!
  • Titles consisting of a single word are discouraged, and in most cases are disallowed outright.
  • Read Where should I post X? if you're not absolutely sure you're posting in the right place.
  • Please read these before you post! —
  • Posts may use any of the Perl Monks Approved HTML tags:
    a, abbr, b, big, blockquote, br, caption, center, col, colgroup, dd, del, details, div, dl, dt, em, font, h1, h2, h3, h4, h5, h6, hr, i, ins, li, ol, p, pre, readmore, small, span, spoiler, strike, strong, sub, summary, sup, table, tbody, td, tfoot, th, thead, tr, tt, u, ul, wbr
  • You may need to use entities for some characters, as follows. (Exception: Within code tags, you can put the characters literally.)
            For:     Use:
    & &amp;
    < &lt;
    > &gt;
    [ &#91;
    ] &#93;
  • Link using PerlMonks shortcuts! What shortcuts can I use for linking?
  • See Writeup Formatting Tips and other pages linked from there for more info.