A software calculator is a

calculator An electronic calculator is typically a portable electronic device used to perform calculations, ranging from basic arithmetic to complex mathematics. The first solid-state electronic calculator was created in the early 1960s. Pocket-sized ...

that has been implemented as a

computer program A computer program is a sequence or set of instructions in a programming language for a computer to execute. Computer programs are one component of software, which also includes documentation and other intangible components. A computer program ...

, rather than as a physical hardware device. They are among the simpler interactive software tools, and, as such, they provide operations for the user to select one at a time. They can be used to perform any process that consists of a sequence of steps each of which applies one of these operations, and have no purpose other than these processes, because the operations are the sole, or at least the primary, features of the calculator, rather than being secondary features that support other functionality that is not normally known simply as calculation. As a ''calculator'', rather than a

computer A computer is a machine that can be programmed to Execution (computing), carry out sequences of arithmetic or logical operations (computation) automatically. Modern digital electronic computers can perform generic sets of operations known as C ...

, they usually have a small set of relatively simple operations, perform short processes that are not compute intensive and do not accept large amounts of input data or produce many results.

Platforms

Software calculators are available for many different platforms, and they can be: * A program for, or included with an

operating system An operating system (OS) is system software that manages computer hardware, software resources, and provides common services for computer programs. Time-sharing operating systems schedule tasks for efficient use of the system and may also in ...

. * A program implemented as

server Server may refer to: Computing *Server (computing), a computer program or a device that provides functionality for other programs or devices, called clients Role * Waiting staff, those who work at a restaurant or a bar attending customers and su ...

or client-side scripting (such as

JavaScript JavaScript (), often abbreviated as JS, is a programming language that is one of the core technologies of the World Wide Web, alongside HTML and CSS. As of 2022, 98% of Website, websites use JavaScript on the Client (computing), client side ...

) within a web page. * Embedded in a

calculator watch A calculator watch is a digital watch with a built-in calculator, usually including buttons on the watch face. Calculator watches were first introduced in the 1970s and continue to be produced, despite falling from their peak popularity du ...

. * Also complex software may have calculator-like dialogs, sometimes with the full calculator functionality, to enter data into the system.

History

Early years

Computers as we know them today first emerged in the 1940s and 1950s. The software that they ran was naturally used to perform calculations, but it was specially designed for a substantial application that was not limited to simple calculations. For example, the

LEO Leo or Léo may refer to: Acronyms * Law enforcement officer * Law enforcement organisation * ''Louisville Eccentric Observer'', a free weekly newspaper in Louisville, Kentucky * Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity Arts an ...

computer was designed to run business application software such as payroll. Software specifically to perform calculations as its main purpose was first written in the 1960s, and the first software package for general calculations to obtain widespread use was released in 1978.Power, D. J., A Brief History of Spreadsheets, DSSResources.COM, World Wide Web, http://dssresources.com/history/sshistory.html, version 3.6, 30 August 2004. Photo added September 24, 2002. This was VisiCalc and it was called an ''interactive visible calculator'', but it was actually a

spreadsheet A spreadsheet is a computer application for computation, organization, analysis and storage of data in tabular form. Spreadsheets were developed as computerized analogs of paper accounting worksheets. The program operates on data entered in cel ...

, and these are now not normally known simply as calculators. The

Unix Unix (; trademarked as UNIX) is a family of multitasking, multiuser computer operating systems that derive from the original AT&T Unix, whose development started in 1969 at the Bell Labs research center by Ken Thompson, Dennis Ritchie, and ot ...

version released in 1979, V7 Unix, contained a command-line accessible calculator.

Simulation of hardware calculators

Calculators have been used since ancient times and until the advent of software calculators they were physical, hardware machines. The most recent hardware calculators are electronic hand-held devices with buttons for digits and operations, and a small window for inputs and results. The first software calculators imitated these hardware calculators by implementing the same functionality with mouse-operated, rather than finger-operated, buttons. Such software calculators first emerged in the 1980s as part of the original

Macintosh The Mac (known as Macintosh until 1999) is a family of personal computers designed and marketed by Apple Inc., Apple Inc. Macs are known for their ease of use and minimalist designs, and are popular among students, creative professionals, and ...

operating system ( System 1) and the

Windows Windows is a group of several proprietary graphical operating system families developed and marketed by Microsoft. Each family caters to a certain sector of the computing industry. For example, Windows NT for consumers, Windows Server for serv ...

operating system (

Windows 1.0 Windows 1.0 is the first major release of Microsoft Windows, a family of graphical operating systems for personal computers developed by Microsoft. It was first released to manufacturing in the United States on November 20, 1985, while the Euro ...

). Some software calculators directly simulate one of the hardware calculators, by presenting an image that looks like the calculator, and by providing the same functionality.

Software calculators on the Internet

There is now a very wide range of software calculators, and searching the Internet produces very large numbers of programs that are called ''calculators''. The results include numerical calculators that apply arithmetic operations or mathematical functions to numbers, and that produce numerical results or graphs of numerical functions, plus some non-numerical tools and games that are also called calculators. Many of the results are calculators that do not imitate or simulate hardware calculators, but that take advantage of the greater power of computer software to implement alternative types of calculators. Software calculators are provided on the Internet which are customizable to use any conceivable algebraic expression. These user-customizable software calculators can also be used in conjunction with formula or equation creation capabilities so that the software calculator can now be created to perform all possible mathematical functions. No longer limited to a set of trigonometric and simple algebraic expressions, versions of the software calculator are now tailored to any and all topical applications.

Examples

Numerical calculators

Every type of hardware calculator has been implemented in software, including conversion, financial, graphing, programmable and scientific calculators. Other numerical calculators that do not imitate hardware calculators include: *

Formula calculator A formula calculator is a software calculator that can perform a calculation in two steps: # Enter the calculation by typing it in from the keyboard. # Press a single button or key to see the final result. This is unlike button-operated calcula ...

s * Window-based calculators * Specialised calculators.

Window-based calculators

Window-based calculators present a dialog box that allows users to enter data, rather than data ''and'' operations, and they have a built-in formula that is automatically applied to this data. There are many examples of such calculators in finance, mathematics, science and other disciplines.

Specialised calculators

There are software calculators that contain operations relevant to a specific application area and profession, including automotive, construction and electrical engineering.

Non-numerical tools

Non-numerical calculators include life-style and scientific calculators: * Love calculator: The input is two ''names'', and there is a button to work out the ''compatibility'', as a percentage, of two people with these names. * Formula weight calculator: The input is a ''chemical molecular formula'', using the periodic-table symbols and notation, and there is a button to work out the ''percentages'' of its constituents. * Astronomical calculator: The input is a date and one or multiple celestial bodies (usually the sun, moon, planets, planetoids or comets). The program calculates the position of these bodies to the given date and gives a numerical output of the position (usually in right ascension and declination, whereby the used eqinox may be settable), sometimes also from brightness, angle diameter and phase. Some programs can generate a list of astronomical events of certain types during a period of time, e.g. a year. Astronomical calculators can be also a part of a simulation software, displaying the sky at a certain time.

Games

There are some software games that are called calculators, including: * Sudoku calculators: The input is a Sudoku ''puzzle'', the operations support ''solving'' the puzzle, such as selecting a digit as the solution for a cell, and the result is a ''solution'' of the entire puzzle. * Poker calculators: A common feature of these is to calculate the ''odds'' of winning with a given

Poker Poker is a family of comparing card games in which players wager over which hand is best according to that specific game's rules. It is played worldwide, however in some places the rules may vary. While the earliest known form of the game w ...

hand.

Related software packages

There are many interactive software packages that provide user-accessible calculation features, but that are not normally called ''calculators'', because the calculation features play only a supporting role rather than being an end in themselves. These include: *

Spreadsheet A spreadsheet is a computer application for computation, organization, analysis and storage of data in tabular form. Spreadsheets were developed as computerized analogs of paper accounting worksheets. The program operates on data entered in cel ...

s, where user-supplied calculations can define a cell’s content. *

Computer algebra system A computer algebra system (CAS) or symbolic algebra system (SAS) is any mathematical software with the ability to manipulate mathematical expressions in a way similar to the traditional manual computations of mathematicians and scientists. The de ...

s, which can manipulate mathematical expressions, including evaluating simple calculations. *

Database In computing, a database is an organized collection of data stored and accessed electronically. Small databases can be stored on a file system, while large databases are hosted on computer clusters or cloud storage. The design of databases sp ...

s, where user-supplied calculations can specify a field’s value.

Spreadsheets

Spreadsheets are not normally called ''calculators'' because their main purpose is to organise data in rows and columns, and to automatically update the values of possibly many dependent cells when the value in another cell changes. The calculation features are only used in a supporting role to specify the values in some cells.

Computer algebra systems

Computer algebra systems are not normally called ''calculators'' because their main purpose is to perform symbolic manipulation of mathematical expressions that can contain variables and complex operations, such as integration. However, the expressions can be basic calculations that do not use variables, and that are simply evaluated, as with a calculator.

Databases

Databases are not normally called ''calculators'' because their main purpose is data entry and storage, plus reporting against this data. The calculation features are only used in a supporting role to specify the values in some fields.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Software Calculator Office equipment Mathematical notation