CALC 1 Focused Calculator Customization Tutorial

CALC 1 Focused Calculator Customization Tutorial

Today is a tutorial on how to customize a calculator with CalcFxc’s CALC 1 iOS app.  In case you are new to the CALC 1 app, here is the product page:

http://www.calcfxcllc.com/

For today’s tutorial, I am going to copy one of the financial calculators and modifying a few keys using fairly simple techniques.  My focus will be on focused calculators.   Formula calculators can be created and modified in a similar way, while form calculators cannot be modified.

Steps:

1.  Bring up the list of calculators.  On the iPod Touch/iPhone version, touch the Back button. 

2.  Select Focused Calculators. 

3.  We will create a copy of the new one.  In my example, I am going to copy the Financial:  TVM IYR calculator.   To do this, touch Edit.  This will bring a plus sign ( + ) on top left hand corner, with each focused calculator now accompanied with a red circle containing a minus sign ( - ).  Press the Plus sign.  This creates a copy of the top most listed focused calculator.

4.  On the copy, select the blue circle with the i (i). 

5.  To edit the calculator, touch Edit on the top right hand corner of the screen. 

In this tutorial, I am going to change the percentage total (%T) key, and insert the exponential (e^x) function instead.   To see the contents of any key, just touch it.  The Key Editor appears.  

The Key Editor is divided into two sections:   Labels and Hints, and Formulas.  The example above is the square root (√) key in Key Editor mode.

Labels and Hints:

Label:  What is displayed on the key

Hint:  What is displayed when you press and hold on the key to bring up the help text

Insert:  What to insert when the calculator is on Algebraic mode.  It may be left blank if you want an immediate calculation. 

Undo:  You can turn the ability to undo the key’s actions on or off.  The default is on.

Formulas:

Here is where you type the formulas that affect the stack.  In RPN, there are four stack levels: x, y, z, and t. On your typical calculator, the display is the x stack.  This is where you affect your output. 

For instance, if your key want to calculate a function affecting the number on the x stack, you would insert the formula in the form of f(rgx()) on the x formula.

So:

x Formula:  output on the x-stack (display)

y Formula:  output on the y-stack

z Formula:  output on the z-stack

t Formula:  output on the t-stack

To access the stack elements, use the functions rgx(), rgy(), rgz(), and rgt() for the x, y, z, and t stacks, respectively.  While editing your formula, you can press the f() key to bring up the available functions for the key editor. 

Also notice five other symbols on the bottom of the Key Editor screen.  They are:

Arrow pointing from paper to clipboard:  Copy the key’s contents

Arrow pointing from clipboard to paper:  Paste the key’s contents

Undo arrow:  Undo

Trash can:  Clear the key’s contents

? in a circle:  Help

6.  Going back to our example, we are going to change the percent total (%T) to the exponential key.  I only want to change the x-stack, hence I will leave the y, z, and t formulas blank.  Here is how I edited to the key.

Label:  e^x

Hint:  exponential function

Insert:  exp(

Undo:  Provide undo support.

x Formula:  exp(rgx())

y Formula:  leave blank

z Formula:  leave blank

t Formula:  leave blank

Changes are automatically saved.  You can exit editing mode and test the keys at any time.  This will take practice, testing, and maybe trial and error.

Two Additional Examples

Change to percent key (%) to the natural logarithm key (ln).   Here is my set up, it is going to be the similar to the setup for the exponential key.

Label:  ln

Hint:  natural logarithm

Insert:  ln(

Undo:  Provide undo support.

x Formula:  ln(rgx())

y Formula:  leave blank

z Formula:  leave blank

t Formula:  leave blank

Change the square root key (√) to a power (exponent) key.  For this key, we are going to use two arguments (y^x).  This will require the use of both of the y-stack and x-stack.  To make the new key work in RPN mode like most RPN calculators (such as the HP-15C, HP-41, etc), I will copy the contents of the t-stack to the z-stack, while copying the z-stack to the y-stack. 

Label:  power

Hint:  y^x

Insert:  ^

Undo:  Provide undo support.

x Formula:  rgy()^rgx()

y Formula:  rgz()

z Formula:  rgt()

t Formula:  rgt()

These are just some of the basics of modifying a focused calculator for the CALC 1 iOS app.

Until next time,

Eddie

This blog is property of Edward Shore, 2016.

What’s New: CALC 1 by CalcFxC, LLC

What’s New:  CALC 1 by CalcFxC, LLC

Programmer/Author:  CalcFxC, LLC

Platform:  iOS (iPhone, iPod Touch, iPad)

Price:  Up to $5.99 for the full, non-ad version

There is a free version, but it is with ads and you may not get all the features you want.  There are in-app purchases on the free version if you want. 

Apple App Store Link:  https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/ad-free-calc-1-financial-calculator/id1073629173?mt=8

Web Site:  http://www.calcfxcllc.com/

This blog entry will focus on some of the update (as of 3/24/2016). 

I reviewed the app on a previous blog entry:  http://edspi31415.blogspot.com/2012/10/review-of-freecalcfxc.html

To review, CALC 1 (previously named CalcFxC), has focused calculators and formula calculators.  Focused calculators are calculators that are set on a specific theme or task.  This includes the general, time value of money, statistics, conversions, and general (scientific) calculators.    Hold any key for a second, and you will see help text that applies to the key.  Formula calculators are calculators that are based on equation solving.  This includes solving percentage problems, profit margin, effective interest rate vs nominal interest rate, permutations, combinations, probability density functions, and polynomial solvers.  You can also make a customized focused or formula calculator. 

We also have Form Calculators.  These are guided calculators that answer specific questions, such as finding the monthly payment of a loan, a time value of money worksheet, an amortization worksheet (which can be copied and emailed), depreciation, and dates. 

Some of the New Features

Value Preview

This is my favorite of the new update (as of 3/24/2016) is the value preview.  Any storage register, be it the time value of money, formula register, or variables, you will see the current value of the register printed directly on the key. 

Swap Key (iPhone/iPod Touch) takes you to Currency Conversion

The swap key takes you the currency conversion and automatically takes the number on the X Stack (bottom stack) as its argument.  The best part is that the most current conversion rates are used (assuming your device is connected to the internet).  Once conversion is complete, the results are placed on the X stack.

Chain Mode

New to CALC 1 is chain mode.  Most four-function, non-scientific calculators that you find operate on Chain Mode.   Operations in chain mode work on the number in the display (x-stack) in the order you press the key, ignoring the Order of Operations.  For example:

Pressing 7 [ + ] 2 [ x ] 5 [ = ] in chain mode returns 45.  (Under Order of Operations, the 7+2*5 = 17)

CALC 1 also has Algebraic and RPN entry modes. 

Form Calculator Results are placed in History

This not only transfers single amounts but also any applicable tables.  To see the details of any Form Calculator related history item, click on the information button (the blue I in a circle).  This is useful if you want to work with a lot of what-if scenarios or if you making a set of calculations that you want to refer to at a later time. 

Please check this app out, Roger Carey has a done a solid job on this calculator. 

This blog is property of Edward Shore, 2016.

Review of FreeCalcFxc

Review: FreeCalcFxC

Platforms: iPhone and iPod Touch, will run on an iPad

Versions Available:
Free Version
$0.99 Scientific Version
$0.99 Financial Version

The only difference between the Free Version and the Scientific Version is that the Free Version is ad-supported.

Keyboard

The keyboard is a simple layout of 34 keys. The keys are labeled with one function. To access the shift function, press the gold shift key. The names of the shifted function replace the primary functions. Kudos for simplicity, however, my personal preference is to see both the primary and shift functions at the same time.

RPN and Algebraic Mode

The default mode is RPN (Reverse Polish Notation), but you can always enter an algebraic formula by pressing the "=f" key. The "=f" becomes the "=" to terminate entry of the formula.

Many, many, many calculators are available

Accessing the Focused Calculator list gives many calculators such as Math and Trig (the main calculator), Time Value of Money, Bonds, Statistics, Probability and Conversion calculators. For me the Conversion calculators leave a little to be desired, since there are no direct conversion keys attached to the default keyboard (luckily, that can be remedied!).

In addition to the Focused Calculators, CalcFxC gives formula template calculates. Among these formula calculators you have Percent Change, Distribution Functions, and the Quadratic and Cubic Equations.

The keyboard gives a good response when the "keys" are pressed. The screen is a two line (adjustable) screen which displays the y-stack and x-stack. The stack is four levels.

Help can be accessed by pressing and holding a key.

Real Numbers and Limits

The calculator operates on real numbers only. So, entering √-1 will return an error. As a consequence, the polynomial solvers return only real roots. The numbers range in the order of -10^-308 to 10^308.

There are no fractions or exact values of trig functions.

Math and Trig Keyboard

This keyboard contains functions usually not found a standard scientific calculator:

sqrtpi: takes the square root of the number then multiplies it by π
exmp1: e^x - 1, known on Hewlett Packard Calculators as the EXM1 function
log1p: ln(x + 1), known on Hewlett Packard Calculators as the LNP1 function
jn: Bessel Function of the First Kind, with x on the y-stack and the order n on the x-stack. jn also returns the Bessel Function of the Second Kind.
quad: Takes three arguments from the stack (a, b, c of ax^2+bx+c) and returns the real roots.

If you want to access the hyperbolic functions, you will need to call the Math and Hyperbolic calculator.

Memory

The calculator has 27 memories: memories a through z, and a special register ra. Storage and recall arithmetic can be performed on register ra - no idea why (except for maybe programming limitations) CalcFxC decided to restrict this feature to one register.

Programmability in the Form of Customizable Calculators

CalcFxC does not offer "traditional" macro or program capability. Instead, CalcFxC offers the ability to edit and create custom keyboards. You can redefine the key's name and help screen, along with it's formula. You have access to all of the functions. To use the stack arguments, use rgx(), rgy(), rgz(), and rgt() for the x, y, z, and t stacks respectively. This is a fun feature for those who has ever wanted to design their own calculators, and I am one of them!

To emulate the stack operations properly, you will need to define the formulas for each stack.

For example, if I designate the comb function as the Combination function, I would use the following formulas:
x Formula: combin(rgy(),rgx())
y Formula: rgz()
z Formula: rgt()
t Formula: rgt()
Last x Formula: rgx()

Functions can be copied and pasted. You will need some experience with RPN calculators to take advantage of this feature.

Final Word

This app is enjoyable to use. I am probably going to spend an afternoon or evening making a custom calculator. RPN fans, this is a good calculator app to get.

Since I am not a fan of ads, I will pay the $0.99 to get the non-ad version.

4.5 of 5 stars.

Eddie


This blog is property of Edward Shore. 2012.