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Posting-Version: version B 2.10.2 9/18/84; site lsuc.UUCP
Path: utzoo!lsuc!dave
From: dave@lsuc.UUCP (David Sherman)
Newsgroups: net.wanted.sources
Subject: wanted: simple, user-friendly UNIX calculator
Message-ID: <429@lsuc.UUCP>
Date: Mon, 18-Feb-85 22:10:51 EST
Article-I.D.: lsuc.429
Posted: Mon Feb 18 22:10:51 1985
Date-Received: Mon, 18-Feb-85 22:29:54 EST
Organization: Law Society of Upper Canada, Toronto
Lines: 24

We teach a course in Canadian income tax on our UNIX system,
and students need access to an on-line calculator. Right now
I invoke "bc" when they request a calculator, but it's far from
ideal. I have to give several lines of instructions, like "use '*'
for multiplication", and "do not type the equals sign". Of course,
	2+2=
produces
	syntax error on line , teletype

which is hardly what I want to inflict on law students who are
dealing with what is otherwise an extremely user-cuddly system.

So, I'd like a calculator which will:
	- do simple arithmetic, no variables
	- accept (but not require) a '=' on the line
	- allow 'x' or 'X' as well as '*' for multiplication
	- handle '%' and () bracketing if possible (not crucial)
	- produce floating-point when needed after division, not truncate

If no-one has one like this, I guess I'll work from Kernighan & Pike
and construct one using lex & yacc. But I really don't have the time.
-- 
{utzoo pesnta nrcaero utcs hcr}!lsuc!dave
{allegra decvax ihnp4 linus}!utcsri!lsuc!dave