=============================================================================== This is the binary only distribution of the SciCalc application. SciCalc is a more richly featured version of the basic Calculator example program from which it was spawned from. SciCalc is FreeWare and should be treated as such. SciCalc requires NextStep 2.0 or greater to run. This distribution is binary only not out of rudeness, but in an effort to reduce the distribution size. Hey, my Internet connection is only 2400 baud. If anyone cares or complains I will distribute the source at a later time. What follows is the extracted text from the online help panel: =============================================================================== SciCalc - Help SciCalc is a push button calculator that supports many of the features found on your average buck $2.98 scientific pocket calculator. EXPRESSION SYNTAX: SciCalc processes mathematical expressions in a normal left to right order while taking into account operator precedence. For example SciCalc evaluates "1 + 2 * 3" to be equal to 7. Each expression is displayed just as it is entered in the upper LCD window. When the Equals [=] button is pressed the entered expression is evaluated and the display is replaced by the result. If an invalid expression is formed SciCalc will display the "<Syntax Error>" string which prohibits further operation until the All Clear [AC] button is pressed. OPERATORS AND FUNCTIONS: SciCalcs expressions are formed as a sequence of values separated by operators and values preceeded by functions. Operators include the basic Plus [+], Minus [-], Multiply [x], and Divide [/]. All operators must be preceeded by and followed by either an explicit value or a function request. Other operators include the [X^Y] and [X Root of Y] buttons. Function requests are made by pressing the desired function key followed by a value or an expression in parenthesis. Examples of Function keys include the [sin], [10^x], and [X!] buttons. As an example the key sequence for entering the following expression would be: sin (23 - 5^(3.1*2.5)) / (11-5*4) Press [sin] then [(] then [2] then [3] then [-] then [5] then [X^Y] then [(] then [3] then [.] then [1] then [*] then [2] then [.] then [5] then [)] then [)] then [/] then [(] then [1] then [1] then [-] then [5] then [*] then [4] then [)] and finally [=]. MODIFIED FUNCTIONS: Not all available functions have a unique button. Most function buttons can be altered via the modifer toggle buttons [Hyperbolic] and [Inverse]. The following table lists each button that has a modified function. The H's and I's in the modifier column indicates that the Hyperbolic and Inverse toggle buttons must be set to access the function. Button Modifer Function ====== ======= ======== [sin] H sinh I asin H I asinh [cos] H cosh I acos H I acosh [tan] H tanh I atan H I atanh [e^x] I ln (natural log) [10^x] I log (log base 10) [X^y] I Xth root of Y [X^2] I Square Root METRICS FOR TRIGNOMETRIC FUNCTIONS: The Metric radio box determines how to interpret the input value for the SIN, COS, and TAN functions, and what value to return for the ASIN, ACOS, and ATAN functions. The choices stand for Degrees, Radians, and Gradians. The current metric may be changed at anytime, and may be changed in the middle of partially entered expression. The current metric will determine the result of any of the previously mentioned functions as soon as the functions argument value is determined. CHANGING THE NUMERIC BASE The Base radio box can be used to change the operating numeric base between Decimal, Hexidecimal, Octal, and Binary. When in decimal mode all values are expressed in 8 byte (Quadword) units. Hex, Octal, and Binary values can only be expressed in 4 byte (Longword) units, 2 byte (Word) units, or single byte units. When in Hex, Octal, or Binary base the binary operators And, Or, Not, Xor, Lsh, and Rsh are enabled. When the base is changed any currently entered value is replaced by its equivalent value in the new base if possible. The value in the currently selected memory cell is also reformatted in the newly selected base. Each numeric base will only permit the appopriate set of number keys for the selected base. It is possible to change the numeric base in the middle of an expression. For example to add 20 Hex to 20 Octal perform the following. First select Hex base and enter 20. Then press the [+] button and follow that by selecting Oct base. Enter 20 and press the [=] button. The result is expressed in Octal will be 60. By selecting Decimal base result will show 48, which should make sense since 20 (hex) = 32 and 20 (oct) = 16, and 32+16=48. CHANGING THE UNIT SIZE The Unit size is only important when in Hexidecimal, Octal, or Binary base mode. When in Decimal mode all values are expressed in 8 byte Quadwords. When in Hexidecimal, Octal or Binary mode the Unit size may be set to either 4 byte Longwords, 2 byte Words, or a single byte. The selected Unit size will determine the value range of the expression result. And will determine how a value will be interpreted when changing the Base between Hex/Oct/Bin and Dec mode. For example if the value FF is entered while Base=Hex and Unit=Byte, and the base is changed to decimal the value displayed will be -1. If the Unit size were set to Word the displayed value would be 255. CHANGING FUNCTION MODE SciCalc provides two ways to use the function keys. The function mode is toggled between Evaluate and Operate modes from the application menu item Function submenu, or more simply by the Command-f keystroke. The default method is to evaluate functions as part of the entered expression. The alternate method is to use the function buttons in an a operator mode. In Operate mode the selected function takes the currently entered value as its argument, and then replaces the value with the result of the function. MEMORY FUNCTIONS: SciCalc provides 26 temporary memory storage cells labeled A through Z. The currently selected memory cell is indicated by the label well between the up and down arrows and the memory cell LCD window. Different memory cells can be selected via the up and down arrow buttons next to the memory LCD. The up arrow moves up the alphabet towards A, and the down arrow moves torward Z. The [MS] and [MR] buttons are used to store and recall the current value to and from the currently selected memory cell. The [MC] button will clear the value in the currenlty selected memory cell. BITWISE FUNCTIONS: The bitwise functions are used to manipulate binary data, and hence are only available when the selected Base is set to either Hexidecimal, Octal, or Binary. The [And], [Or], and [Xor] buttons are binary operators that perform bitwise And, Or, and Exclusive Or operations on the supplied operands. The [Not], [Lsh], and [Rsh] buttons are actually functions that perform the bitwise Not, the arithmetic left shift, and arithemtic right shift operations respectively. OUTPUT PRECISON: The output of an expressions result may be modified by the precison slider. When SciCalc is in Base Decimal the precision setting determines how many digits to print to the right of the decimal point. If the current precision setting is less than the number of digits in the decimal portion of the result the value will be displayed in exponential notation. When SciCalc is in Base Hex, Octal, or Binary mode the precision setting determines the minimum number of digits to print in the result. KEYBOARD SHORTCUTS SciCalc provides various keyboard alternatives to clicking on many of the buttons. First and foremost are the numeric buttons [0]-[9], [A]-[F], and [.]. Each of these buttons may be entered by typing the corresponding key on the main keyboard or the numeric keypad. The basic arithmetic operators plus, minus, times, divide can be entered by typing "+", "-", "*", and "/" respectively. The [=] equals button may entered by typing "=", or by pressing the Return or Enter key. Typing "(" or ")" are alternatives to clicking the parenthesis buttons. Typing "~" is equivalent to pressing the [+-] button. The following table lists all the available keyboard shortcuts that you will find impossible to remember: Keystroke Function ---------------- ------------------------ ESC All Clear Delete Clear Entry Ctrl-C COS Ctrl-S SIN Ctrl-T TAN Shift-Ctrl-C COSH Shift-Ctrl-S SINH Shift-Ctrl-T TANH Alt-C ACOSH Alt-S ASINH Alt-T ATANH Shift-Alt-C ACOSH Shift-Alt-S ASINH Shift-Alt-T ATANH "P" or "p" Enter Pi "[" Memory Store "]" Memory Recall "\" Memory Clear Ctrl-E e^x Alt-E ln Ctrl-F X! Ctrl-L 10^x Alt-L LOG Ctrl-R 1/X Ctrl-X X^2 Alt-X Square Root Ctrl-Y X^Y Alt-Y X root Y LEGAL STUFF: SciCalc is free software and may be freely distributed with the single restriction that modified versions of this software may only be redistributed by the original author. Please send bug reports and any comments to the following email address: mdm@wdl1.wdl.loral.com
These are the contents of the former NiCE NeXT User Group NeXTSTEP/OpenStep software archive, currently hosted by Netfuture.ch.