On 10/18/24 15:27, Ronald Hudson wrote:
On 10/18/24 14:23, Mark Aitchison via Freedos-devel wrote:
I'm interested in a useful scientific calculator emulator, and always
liked those HP calculators you mentioned (and especially have fond
memories for the HP-45, for which several emulators exist at the
moment, e.g. https://sarahkmarr.com/retrohp1973.html, but not any for
any DOS AFAIK).
HP1973 is interesting, my favorite play calculation is sin(1/55555) in
degrees mode - that answer has a familiar ring to it. HP1973 drops
the ball at the reciprocal, but the stack display (not the 'LED'
display) still shows the correct answer. Calcula is for CLI, and is
written in FreePascal.
Did I say that calcula displays all it's storage while you work? All
26 stack registers, All the A-Z storage registers and the statistical
registers, even the LastX register is on screen.
Three features from other calculators, though, might be worth
including that make it more suited to use on computers...
1. The HP10C etc has a "landscape" format that makes it more suited
to PC screens; although I often prefer the usual "portrait"
arrangement, may this could be a user-settable option? (the
arrangement of keys and so on on the screen probably isn't
difficult to adjust compared with the workings on the underlying
calculator features?)
2. I liked one thing about the Sinclair Scientific (as one example),
whereby two different shift keys gave keys 3 different functions.
This can match keyboards with "Shift", "Control" and "Alt" or
whatever keys. I like to avoid mouse use because of RSI risks, so
if it can use those keys it would be good... ideally: as soon as
you press down a shift key it should change or highlight the
appropriate caption/legend associated with the keys. For example:
"alt" might change "cos" to "arccos".
3. The ability to make it programmable is tempting, but as a "maybe
add later" thought to avoid weighing down the project so it cannot
get off the ground. At this stage perhaps: reserve the PC keyboard
function keys for later use for this?
#3 I am actually thinking of a programmable calculator interpreter
where, like assembly language, lines can have labels and variables can
have names. You'd use your favorite editor to build source then
interpret it.
1.
What do you think?
How far along are you with CALCULA?
All original design goals have been met, I may add other functions
before it's out. I have to work on documentation now. What is
FreeDOS's favorite documentation format?
Mark Aitchison,
Christchurch New Zealand.
On 19/10/24 06:39, Ronald Hudson via Freedos-devel wrote:
Hi Everyone -
I am working on a version of CALCULA, an RPN calculator for DOS. It
is roughly equivalent in power to an HP35 or HP25 or HP11 - It is
not programmable. Unlike HP my calculator has a 26 level stack, and
26 storage registers. It has continuous memory (via saving a status
file on exit and loading it again on launch)
Is there any interest?
Ron Hudson
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