#!/bin/bash
# i'm tired of doing 'echo "scale=blah; ibase=bluh; obase=doh; foo * bar" | bc'
# so enter calc "4.35 * 9" and get an answer
echo "Enclose your expression in quotes."
all="$@"
echo "${all}"
echo "${all}" | \
awk 'BEGIN {
        FS=" "
        OFS=""
        expression=""
    }
    {
        scale=0
        ibase=10
        obase=10
        count=1
        while (count <= NF) {
            dectest=index($count,".")
            if (dectest != 0) {
                declen=length($count) - dectest
                if (declen > scale) {
                    scale=declen
                }
            }
            expression=expression $count " "
            count++
        }
        scale++
        print "scale=" scale "; " expression
    }' | \
bc