Aplicaciones Windows/Aplicaciones Windows.iso/Educa/KALKUL.ZIP/ABOUT.TXT

Text File | 1997-03-13 | 12KB | 334 lines

KALKULATOR  -  ABOUT THE PROGRAM
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You can buy a decent scientific calculator in your drugstore for
$15 or less. Put it next to your computer's keyboard - and why
bother with any calculator program?

This means that a program of this kind, in order to be more than
just a gadget, has to have features you will not find in any
calculator. Here I will try to convince you that Kalkulator is
such an application, although, of course, ultimately you will be
the judge.

What follows is a brief listing of Kalkulator's features.


1. EXPRESSION EVALUATION

On most calculators (with a notable exception of some Sharp and
Casio models) an expression is being evaluated while you are
entering it. As soon as the next operand (numeric value) has been
entered, you do not see the previous one(s). Upon completion of
an expression, you cannot really see what went into it. If you
make (or suspect) an error, everything has to be re-entered from
the beginning.

In Kalkulator the whole expression is entered first in a notation
very much like that used on paper. Only when the expression has
been entered, you compute it. The expression stays there, and at
any moment you can review it, modify and recompute. More, you can
switch between six different expressions at a time (twenty-four
in the registered version).

More, Kalkulator allows you to enter expressions into dialog boxes
wherever a numerical input is expected. For example, you can plot
a function from Pi/3-A to Pi+2A without precomputing the graph
limits.


2. FUNCTION SET

Kalkulator has more functions that any competition I am aware of
(and, certainly, more than some "ultimate Windows calculators",
boasting "logarithms, power, pi and much more" - no, I am not
inventing this!):

- 39 standard functions: logarithmic and exponential (base e, 10
and 2), trigonometric and inverse, hyperbolic and inverse,
square, cube and corresponding roots, some handy utility
functions (like fractional part, absolute value etc.).

- 4 Euler (or related) functions: gamma, logarithmic gamma, beta,
combinations (the factorial operator is also provided)

- 44 statistical distribution functions for eight most commonly
used distributions; this includes left, right and central
distribution integrals and functions inverse to distribution
integrals (the latter, so commonly used in statistics, cannot be
found in any calculator, regardless of the price)

- 3 random generator functions (uniform, Normal, Poisson) to
perform statistical what-if calculations

- 3 conditional functions (e.g., "if the first argument is
negative, take the second one, else take the third")

- 3 mixed-unit entry functions: pounds/ounces, feet/inches,
hours/ minutes/seconds

- 12 user defined functions of a single argument

All these add up to more than 100 functions, computed, when only
possible, with not less than 18 decimal digits of accuracy
(although only 16 digits of the final result are displayed, and
for a good reason).


3. RESULT REFORMATTING

Any result can be displayed in a number of formats:

- Fixed- and floating point with a user-selectable number of
digits (you can also let the program decide)

- Whole part and fraction, e.g., "8 9/17"

- Pounds, ounces and a fraction, e.g. "3 7 9/16"

- Feet, inches and a fraction, similar to the above

- Degrees, minutes and seconds of angle

- Decimal degrees of angle, same for minutes or seconds

- Hours, minutes and seconds of time


4. VARIABLES

Results of calculations can be stored in variables (memories),
denoted as A..Z. These variables can then be used in other
expressions.


5. UNIT CONVERSION

Any calculation result can be converted between different
measurement units. Conversions for area, energy, force, length,
mass, power, pressure, speed, temperature, time and volume are
provided.

In addition, a number of physical constants have been defined in
the program. Possibly, not many users will need this feature,
but all it costs you is just the space for one button.


6. NUMERICAL OPERATIONS

Kalkulator will take a function typed in as an expression and
perform on it the following numerical operations:

- Numerical integration over a given interval

- Computing a derivative at a given point

- Computing a sum within given argument limits, with a given step

- Find a zero of the function, i.e. solve an equation f(x)=0
inside a given interval

If you do not need these operations, just ignore them: all they
take is another four small buttons at the bottom of the screen.


7. FUNCTION GRAPHS

A function defined as an expression can be plotted within a given
x-range; the y-range can be entered manually or computed and
rounded by the program. A number of functions can be plotted on
a single graph canvas, either one by one or simultaneously.

The plotting algorithms are quite smart, making necessary
adjustments to the local line curvature and being capable of
handling points or areas where the function is not computable.
You can invent a function formula to fool any plotting algorithm,
but Kalkulator's is more difficult to fool than most, at least
those I'm aware of.

There is a provision to add coordinate grid, and the graph can be
saved to the Windows clipboard for use in other programs.


8. POLYNOMIAL ROOTS

Kalkulator computes roots (real or complex) of polynomial
equations with real coefficients, e.g. c0+c1*t+c3*t^2=0.
Equations up to the third degree (fourth in registered copies of
the program) can be solved.


9. STATISTICAL OPERATIONS

Kalkulator has a data buffer, capable of storing single data
values (X points) or 64 pairs of values (XY points). Simple
statistical and/on graphic operations can be performed on the
data:

- computing the population parameters: mean, variance, standard
deviation, minimum and maximum values, covariance (for XY points)

- drawing a data histogram (X points)

- drawing a scatter plot (XY points), computing linear or square
regression coefficients and adding the regression line to the
plot

The data values and the computed parameters can then be used in
any Kalkulator expressions.

You can also define a formula to compute the X or Y values; this
formula may also refer to any points in the buffer.

[The registered version of Kalkulator adds some capabilities
here: the data buffer has the capacity of 6400/3200 data points,
and the program will do polynomial regression up to the ninth
degree. It also allows for saving the data to (or reading from)
an ASCII file.]


10. LINEAR ALGEBRA

Kalkulator performs elementary linear algebra operations:
vector and matrix arithmetic's, matrix inversion, solving
systems of simultaneous linear equations.

The elements of vectors and matrices can be also used as
components of arithmetic expressions in all other Kalkulator
operations.

11. COMPUTER MATH

A separate small panel serves as an add-on RPN computer math
calculator to perform arithmetic operations on integers of a
finite bit length (8, 16 or 32 bits) in various input/display
modes (binary, octal, hexadecimal, decimal). Unsigned and
signed (twos complement) modes are supported.

12. THE USER INTERFACE, LOOK AND FEEL

Too many programs throw in lots of features and a kitchen sink,
to the point when navigation through program features becomes
confusing (not to say irritating). In the case of Kalkulator the
major design principle was that the user should not be hampered
by the features he/she does not access.

This is, of course, a highly subjective issue, but Kalkulator at
least makes a honest attempt in this area. Many of the less-used
functions or operations are accessed from tabbed panels. When not
in use, only a tab reminds the user about their existence. The
buttons for more advanced operations (like, say, numerical
integration) can be hidden (which also saves you the valuable
screen space).

All operations, without a single exception, can be performed
without the mouse, using the keyboard only. This was done
primarily w