AdvCalc for WebOS

[wturnerharris]

I will be adding yet another scientific calculator to the mix. I wasn't satisfied with the appearance of the ones available, icon and design-wise.

Also a few more functions available with the script I found. This is not my javascripting. Just my editing and plugging into the pre. Design similar to dashboard's calc...

[Romanmb]

Originally Posted by wturnerharris

I wasn't satisfied with the appearance of the ones available, icon and design-wise.
.

Same here, can't wait to see this...

[Dieter Bohn]

published!

[dmklein]

Cool, but I would like some feedback when the function and/or opperation keys are entered, For instance a "+" displayed after you pressed it in 4+5, important an ther is no other feedback on the touch screen.

[TheMarco]

Just for my interest, and in order to possibly improve:

What was unsatisfactory about the design and icon of the currently available calculators (which include mine) ? Is this just a purely aesthetic taste thing or are there usability issues?

[Abyssul]

I never fully understood the current scientific RPN calculator, but I would find it more handy if the Pre had a TI calculator (with/without graphing) for calculus. I need to be able to use derivatives and integrals. I couldn't find out how to do that with the RPN. Basically would require a whole new app for my tastes anyways.

[Colonel Kernel]

Just checking, but the code you based this on is GPL or other open source, right?

[TheMarco]

You can integrate with the HP15C but it requires the programmability features. I'm still thinking about whether I should implement that functionality or not on the RPN calc.

[wturnerharris]

Originally Posted by TheMarco

Just for my interest, and in order to possibly improve:

What was unsatisfactory about the design and icon of the currently available calculators (which include mine) ? Is this just a purely aesthetic taste thing or are there usability issues?

Mainly aesthetic for the other scientific calculators available. I wouldn't mind putting my photoshop skills to use for better coders. I also don't like RPN calculators (I think yours) but I love your UI and haptic response. Awesome. I just don't know how to use an RPN calculator and it seems very complex. Tiny numbers.

And icons are a biggie for me. Yours (and this is constructive) appears like a cutoff picture as opposed to an icon specifically for the phone. My background is mainly front-end design, hence the pickiness there.

[wturnerharris]

The code says closed source. I asked the original coder if he minded that I posted the app with his info on it. He told me he didn't care. The website that I found it on has the code publicly available for educational purposes but notes that it is not in the public domain. I have no desire to use the app for commercial purposes, but I imagine the code is still available for "educating" yourself. You can find the link to the original source in the help file.

[TheMarco]

Originally Posted by wturnerharris

Mainly aesthetic for the other scientific calculators available. I wouldn't mind putting my photoshop skills to use for better coders. I also don't like RPN calculators (I think yours) but I love your UI and haptic response. Awesome. I just don't know how to use an RPN calculator and it seems very complex. Tiny numbers.

And icons are a biggie for me. Yours (and this is constructive) appears like a cutoff picture as opposed to an icon specifically for the phone. My background is mainly front-end design, hence the pickiness there.

The icon is the weakest link in my app for sure. It's the one bit that I put the least thought in. It will change before the app hits release status.

I have the same background like you do by the way

Finally: RPN calculators only SEEM complex to people who have never used them. I had the same feeling when I was given one for the first time by my dad, a long long time ago. Once you get the hang of it you'll never go back to a normal calculator, no matter whether you're a geek or not

[Eckless]

Talking about RPN calculators, most of the people in my workplace start to panic when given their RPN calculators (HP-12C's FTW!) but after about a week they can't go back. Give RPN a chance! You'll find it's MUCH quicker and doesn't require parentheses.

[johncc]

Can't believe that you are choosing/rejecting a calculator based on the icon that it uses. Add your own if it's that big a deal.

[TheMarco]

Ok you made me change my app icon. I think it's much better now. Thanks for helping me improve

[wturnerharris]

Originally Posted by johncc

Can't believe that you are choosing/rejecting a calculator based on the icon that it uses. Add your own if it's that big a deal.

if you read my full reply to themarco's question, you would see that I have no idea how to use an RPN calculator, which is the main reason I don't use his. I love the UI for it.

themarco, your new icon is superb kudos!! =)

i will try to see if i can understand the rpn ways. 3 enter 5 + seems easy enough, but i'll have to seek help for exponents and other functions. i clearly see them on the beautiful UI, but the sequence in which they need to be entered baffles me. sort of like korean verb placement and the way yoda speaks... confused am I.

[jdale]

RPN is a solution to the ambiguity you get when you are entering a string of things that are not displayed and are calculated one by one. It makes sense for a calculator which only displays numbers but in my opinion doesn't make any sense for other devices. Rather than learning the correct sequence to enter operations, I would rather just enter a formula. E.g. not

2
^
3
+
5

but

2^3+5

Ok, sure, I may have to use parentheses but at least if I enter (2+5)^3 I can see exactly what I've got. There's plenty of room on the display to show the formula that was entered, and a history of recent calculations. Use the keyboard for the numbers and just have buttons on the screen for functions that are not easily accessible from the keyboard, which already has / * + - () % and !

AdvCalc looks good, though, and I'll use it till someone makes the calculator of my dreams.... The other non-RPN calculator, aside from general shininess issues, also had some non-functional buttons and too many functions hidden until you touched shift, IMHO.

[TomJ]

Originally Posted by wturnerharris

confused am I.

Hey, you're getting the hang of it!

I think the key to understanding RPN is understanding how the stack works. The nice thing about TheMarco's RPN calc is that it'll show you what's in the upper registers of the stack. That makes it a lot easier to learn.

Regards,
Tom

[Paladin]

Originally Posted by wturnerharris

Mainly aesthetic for the other scientific calculators available. I wouldn't mind putting my photoshop skills to use for better coders. I also don't like RPN calculators (I think yours) but I love your UI and haptic response. Awesome. I just don't know how to use an RPN calculator and it seems very complex. Tiny numbers.

And icons are a biggie for me. Yours (and this is constructive) appears like a cutoff picture as opposed to an icon specifically for the phone. My background is mainly front-end design, hence the pickiness there.

Hmmmm. Sorry but this app is in no way better looking than the one by TheMarco. His is very professional looking. I think this one is so so... look wise I am talking here.... I hope this improves. I love his keys and display etc... Round buttons=yuk... this also needs a nice number display.

I also am not used to RPN and would love one that uses standard fixed notation. Truth is I really do not use the advanced features as much as I did years ago. I do once in awhile, mostly binary or hex stuff... I just want a very cool, complex looking calculator even if I am just adding something. It is all geek factor for me!!! ii

[wturnerharris]

You've clearly never seen the dashboard calculator on the mac, but that's ok. And I do love themarco's RPN calc, ui and all. Just not too keen on RPNs. I was mainly developing a better UI than the other scientific calc in the homebrew section.

[lordbah]

The HEX key doesn't seem to do anything. I don't know what the unlabeled green button is. Can't enter numbers or letters on the keyboard. Needs a Help section which explains these things.