Hi guys,
I created a new design for Kcalc.
For now it's just normal mode and scientific mode.
I created the widget but obviously it doesn't work.
https://www.dropbox.com/sh/1siml1dxqzo1 ... simple.png
https://www.dropbox.com/sh/1siml1dxqzo1 ... ntific.png
Let me know what you think about it

Here's the code
https://www.dropbox.com/sh/1siml1dxqzo1 ... kcalc?dl=0

This design looks very nice, but I really would like to see a "functional" redesign, too.
The problem is that calculator applications tend to mimic these cheap* "real world" calculators. The "scientific mode" is actually not usable for any science as you get easily lost within the numbers and many more reasons.
Following the principle "simple by default, powerful when needed", the calculator could have this "basic mode" by default (but it should display the numbers and operations you wrote) and an "extended mode". The "extended mode" could provide:

• a log of previous results (displays the entry and the formula)
• storing the result into a variable (re-use it later)
• Different representations (decimal, fraction, scientific,binary,hexadecimal,...)
• In-place editing of the current formula
• Defining own functions easily, e.g. entering mdts(x,y,z)=(max(x,y,z)-min(x,y,z))/sum(x,y,z)

* cheap = the stuff you get everywhere. There are "real world" calculators that have more features than actual calculator apps

Hi, thanks for answering
I wanted to propose a new desing for kcalc, so it does the same things as before. The functions are the same.
So when you open it, it opens in simple mode and than on the menu you can choose scientific mode, as you said.
I don't have the skills to make a functional calculator, so I just made the UI.
If you clic on the folders you can find the executables, so you can see how it really feels.

I think rumangerst was rather argumenting towards the approach of speedcrunch ("Qt bc") - calculator emulations like kcalc might have an increasing meaning because of touchdevices, but for anything that has a keyboard (let alone a number block) attached, they're just useless junk.

Not sure if it's worth extending kcalc beyond basic functionality. If you need variables and history and functions, you can just run e.g. a Python shell which does essentially the same thing but better, no?

In my opinion the basic functionality should at least cover the functionality of a >>good<< real-world calculator. If someone pulls out his calculator from his bag to calculate something because the calculator app is too basic uuh ... yes.

Even Windows 7 calculator has a history and more functions:


Python could do better, a CAS like Maxima could do better, but they are usually too "overkill" (CAS) or not exactly for this purpose (Python). There is something in between "too basic calculator" and "too overkill calculator" with a decent set of functions and at least the comfort of a good real-world calculator.

Qalculate is currently filling this "hole" for me, although it is not installed everywhere. Maybe upgrade KCalc not to Qalculate_clone, but add more comfort?

Hi,

what I don't think we should go is against our HIG's (https://techbase.kde.org/Projects/Usability/HIG).

So when we design an KDE App we should look what the HIG's say.

1. concept (Vision, Personas, User Story)
https://techbase.kde.org/Projects/Usability/HIG/Concept

2. Organization
https://techbase.kde.org/Projects/Usabi ... ganization

3. .....

Ok the last release from KCalc was 2.11 with KDE SC 4.9. Last update of the webpage is from 2011. There is no Concept so we should start at point 1. OR if you don't like (because you think it is not necessary) you can start at point 2. Organization of the app. We start at simple only menu bar.

Status Bar:
Why we have an status bar? What does NORM mean? I have some exams on University few years ago but I don't know what NORM in the status bar mean. Why do we need an status bar for simple mode or in any other mode? Can we remove it?

Menu bar:
File with quite. do we need this really? cause only one entry is not that much (Save could maybe nice)
Edit it is not that easy to understand undo redo without history.
Settings ok we have different layouts with different requirements (perfect simple by default, powerful when needed)
Help needed cause you have to know the source code location, ....

What do a calculator need?
- History definitive one of the most important thing would be to have an history also in the simply layout but in the other layouts too.
- formula account. what do I calculate do I make the brackets right. would be for humans really nice (eo. http://i.ytimg.com/vi/iAh_2AZvhNU/hqdefault.jpg) How do you know if you calculate right without saw the formula?
- tough friendly why not an tough friendly layout but this would also be not that easy cause is it for mobile, tablet, .... (different form factor)
- different colour blocks. maybe it could be niche BUT it's not part of our HIG's so it need an deep review AND I think it could only be an additional mode.

Thanks for these many feedbacks ))

@luebking
Oook, now I got what rumangerst wanted to say

@rumangerst
I have to agree with you, scientific mode isn't actually usable for anything complex.
We should rethink about it.

@scummos
I don't think it is so easily for newbies to use a python shell

@andreas_k
Thanks for the resources

Now I have a better vision of what I should do.
FIrst I agree with rumangerst that kcalc should be more usable for complex tasks.
I found some other softwares that do some things you proposed.
Check them out.
Those for the history https://images.duckduckgo.com/iu/?u=htt ... or.jpg&f=1
https://images.duckduckgo.com/iu/?u=htt ... pe.jpg&f=1
This for the formula editing https://images.duckduckgo.com/iu/?u=htt ... ig.gif&f=1
I am trying to put those features on a single UI.

I also know that my GUI brokes some HIG guidelines. I will fix this too.
Every other feedbacks are very welcome

@andreas
The statusbar is functionally redundant; NORM indicates the shift level (scientific mode has a "shift" key) - and is actually (but with a different meaning...) a normal item on HW scientific calculators.
Applications *should* have an internal way to close and not rely on the presence of a windowmanager/titlebar/closebutton.

luebking wrote:@andreas
The statusbar is functionally redundant; NORM indicates the shift level (scientific mode has a "shift" key) - and is actually (but with a different meaning...) a normal item on HW scientific calculators.
Applications *should* have an internal way to close and not rely on the presence of a windowmanager/titlebar/closebutton.

maybe only for the needed modes the toolbar should shown.

Hi guys, I made a design for both simple and scientific mode.
For now just focus on the features and their position, not on the overall UI (I have yet to make it more breeze style).

This is simple mode. https://www.dropbox.com/sh/1siml1dxqzo1 ... e.png?dl=0
If you clic on the logs button (the third red) it shows you logs, and you can clear them with the rubber button.
https://www.dropbox.com/sh/1siml1dxqzo1 ... s.png?dl=0

This is scientific mode. https://www.dropbox.com/sh/1siml1dxqzo1 ... c.png?dl=0
You can still use logs (as simple mode) and you can use several different numeral mode (bin, hex, oct ecc.) and degrees (deg,rad,grad)
The if you want to type from keyboard you can do it on the expression bar. It can stores even variables.
As the current kcalc, you have several functions and a shift button that changes the functions you can use.

Then if you press the button on the left of the function bar you can see a human-readable version of the expression.
https://www.dropbox.com/sh/1siml1dxqzo1 ... s.png?dl=0

What do you think? Need for some other features?

Thanks for sharing your designs with us gnastyle!

Looks like a great evolution you have made based on the feedback you have received so far. On suggestion I have is to use a menu button pattern instead of a menu bar. The command structure for this kind of app is pretty simple and so probably doesn't a full menu bar to expose the additional commands. See: https://techbase.kde.org/Projects/Usabi ... ndPatterns

You might even consider using a toolbar + menu button pattern where the toolbar would the frequently used commands like history, scientific mode, etc. could be placed in the toolbar.

Anyway, those are just a few thoughts from the cheap seats. Cool effort!

I have still the same recommendation than alake. great evolution. have a menu bar and an toolbar would be too much for such an application. Would move the most needed functions for each mode in an toolbar and a burger menu with all other stuff.

I like the log view very much but as I'm a big fan of latex in mathematics the output could look nicer but an show/hide log view on the side is really clever and much useful on desktop and tablet.

as you already know I'm a fan of use standard settings so I'm not sure if the colors are useful but KDE is configure your system like you want. So why not have an option for the colours.

great work gnastyle

Thanks guys, I'm really happy to know you appreciate my work

@alake
I think too it's a better idea to use menu button instead of a full menu bar. I will try to make it.

@andreas_k
I would've used latex but I didn't know how to do it, but of course the output will be the same as for example libreoffice math or latex.
Same thing for the expression tab.
For the color thing, don't worry, I know it doesn't fit well with the breeze theme
So when we will be in according with all the features, we can discuss how to change it

with LaTeX you have to be careful Boone want to install texlive some 300 mb for an calculator. only thinking of an nice output and to See if the Formular was right.