decimaldel

Decimaldel is a term used in numerical data processing to describe an operation that deletes or suppresses the fractional part of a decimal number. In its core form, decimaldel(x) yields the integer part of x by truncating toward zero, effectively discarding any digits after the decimal point.

With an optional parameter p, decimaldel(x, p) keeps at most p digits after the decimal point and removes any further digits. This form is a truncation, not rounding; digits beyond the p-th place are simply dropped. For negative numbers, decimaldel(-3.1415, 2) results in -3.14, reflecting truncation toward zero.

Decimaldel is distinct from rounding (which modifies the value to the nearest representable number) and from flooring (which moves toward negative infinity). In programming languages, truncation toward zero is often achieved by explicit type conversion to an integer or by a dedicated function that performs truncation rather than rounding.

Applications of decimaldel include numeric data normalization, currency or display formatting where the fractional part is constrained, and input validation where extra decimal precision must be removed. In documentation and education, decimaldel is described as a simple, non-ambiguous way to reduce decimal precision while preserving the sign and overall magnitude up to the chosen limit.

See also: truncation, floor function, rounding, integer part, fixed-point arithmetic.