# Class of numeric literals

**URL:** <https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/class-of-numeric-literals/91698>\
**Category:** Ruby\
**Created:** [April 11, 2007, 5:51pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/class-of-numeric-literals/91698 "2007-04-11T17:51:18Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![KMKMKM](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/k/e47774/32.png) [@KMKMKM](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/KMKMKM)\
**Post date:** [April 11, 2007, 5:51pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/class-of-numeric-literals/91698/1 "2007-04-11T17:51:18Z")

</div>

A literal number with a decimal point in it becomes a Float, e.g.

irb(main):002:0\> 3.0.class  
=\> Float

Is there a way to make a literal like ‘3.0’ become something else,  
e.g. a BigDecimal, automatically?

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![KMKMKM](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/k/e47774/32.png) [@KMKMKM](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/KMKMKM)\
**Post date:** [April 12, 2007, 1:44am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/class-of-numeric-literals/91698/2 "2007-04-12T01:44:00Z")

</div>

Hi,

In message “Re: Class of numeric literals”  
on Thu, 12 Apr 2007 00:50:07 +0900, KM [removed\_email\_address@domain.invalid](mailto:removed_email_address@domain.invalid) writes:

|A literal number with a decimal point in it becomes a Float, e.g.  
|  
| irb(main):002:0\> 3.0.class  
| =\> Float  
|  
|Is there a way to make a literal like ‘3.0’ become something else,  
|e.g. a BigDecimal, automatically?

I’m sorry but no. It would make the language flexible but fragile.

```
          matz.

```