Home » Archimedes archive » Archimedes World » AW-1992-03.adf » AWMar92 » !AWMar92/Goodies/Algebra/!Algebra/!Help
!AWMar92/Goodies/Algebra/!Algebra/!Help
This website contains an archive of files for the Acorn Electron, BBC Micro, Acorn Archimedes, Commodore 16 and Commodore 64 computers, which Dominic Ford has rescued from his private collection of floppy disks and cassettes.
Some of these files were originally commercial releases in the 1980s and 1990s, but they are now widely available online. I assume that copyright over them is no longer being asserted. If you own the copyright and would like files to be removed, please contact me.
| Tape/disk: | Home » Archimedes archive » Archimedes World » AW-1992-03.adf » AWMar92 |
| Filename: | !AWMar92/Goodies/Algebra/!Algebra/!Help |
| Read OK: | ✔ |
| File size: | 0A58 bytes |
| Load address: | 0000 |
| Exec address: | 0000 |
File contents
About this program. !Algebra is a multitasking desktop calculator. It differs from the others in its genre by being able to calculate the results of formulae involving variables as well as constants. It understands simple mathematical shorthand such as xy being x*y. It also recognises 2x as being 2*x. In use. !Algebra can be started by double-clicking on its icon in the usual manner. When loaded, its icon will appear on the icon bar. A click here with SELECT will show the calculator window, while a click with MENU will bring up a standard menu offering Info and the option to Quit. The main window consists of an editable field for the formula, an icon to contain the answer, a large button to evaluate the formula and 26 smaller editable fields labelled A to Z. These fields are the variables. Initially they are all set to zero, but by clicking on one of them it is possible to alter this. The variables can be typed in either upper or lower case, the program treats them as being the same. v=u+at is a common formula in Physics. It relates the constant acceleration, a, with the time, t, the initial velocity, u, and the final velocity, v. To find the value of v when t=2 s, u=4 ms-� and a=10 ms-� the following steps are necessary: 1. Type the formula u+at into the Formula icon ( the v= is not required ). 2. Type 2 into the T= icon. 3. Type 4 into the U= icon. 4. Type 10 into the A= icon. 5. Click on Evaluate. The answer, 24, appears in the Answer icon. To begin anew, click on the Clear icon. The variables will all be cleared, as will the Answer icon. The formula will remain, however, to be used again. A click with MENU in the main window will show a three-option menu. It contains the usual Info option, but the other two options are rather more interesting. The formula for the area of a circle is A=PIr�. The computer doesn't recognise PI, it presumes that you mean P*I, which is nonsense. To use PI, click with SELECT on the pi option of the Constant sub-menu. As I write this in !Edit, I move the pointer to the !Algebra main window and click MENU. I select Constant>pi and the number 3.141592654 appears in my !Edit window. This applies to all the constants. They will appear at the caret. The other constants are - e, the base of natural logarithms. g, the acceleration of free fall due to gravity (in ms-�). c, the speed of light in vacuo (in ms-�). The final option on the menu is Help. This pops up a window giving brief help on such things as operator precedence, and other technical details. At the bottom of the window is an OK button which will remove the window. Elliott Hughes.
00000000 41 62 6f 75 74 20 74 68 69 73 20 70 72 6f 67 72 |About this progr| 00000010 61 6d 2e 0a 0a 21 41 6c 67 65 62 72 61 20 69 73 |am...!Algebra is| 00000020 20 61 20 6d 75 6c 74 69 74 61 73 6b 69 6e 67 20 | a multitasking | 00000030 64 65 73 6b 74 6f 70 20 63 61 6c 63 75 6c 61 74 |desktop calculat| 00000040 6f 72 2e 20 20 49 74 20 64 69 66 66 65 72 73 20 |or. It differs | 00000050 66 72 6f 6d 20 74 68 65 20 6f 74 68 65 72 73 20 |from the others | 00000060 69 6e 20 69 74 73 20 67 65 6e 72 65 20 62 79 20 |in its genre by | 00000070 62 65 69 6e 67 20 61 62 6c 65 20 74 6f 20 63 61 |being able to ca| 00000080 6c 63 75 6c 61 74 65 20 74 68 65 20 72 65 73 75 |lculate the resu| 00000090 6c 74 73 20 6f 66 20 66 6f 72 6d 75 6c 61 65 20 |lts of formulae | 000000a0 69 6e 76 6f 6c 76 69 6e 67 20 76 61 72 69 61 62 |involving variab| 000000b0 6c 65 73 20 61 73 20 77 65 6c 6c 20 61 73 20 63 |les as well as c| 000000c0 6f 6e 73 74 61 6e 74 73 2e 20 20 49 74 20 75 6e |onstants. It un| 000000d0 64 65 72 73 74 61 6e 64 73 20 73 69 6d 70 6c 65 |derstands simple| 000000e0 20 6d 61 74 68 65 6d 61 74 69 63 61 6c 20 73 68 | mathematical sh| 000000f0 6f 72 74 68 61 6e 64 20 73 75 63 68 20 61 73 20 |orthand such as | 00000100 78 79 20 62 65 69 6e 67 20 78 2a 79 2e 20 20 49 |xy being x*y. I| 00000110 74 20 61 6c 73 6f 20 72 65 63 6f 67 6e 69 73 65 |t also recognise| 00000120 73 20 32 78 20 61 73 20 62 65 69 6e 67 20 32 2a |s 2x as being 2*| 00000130 78 2e 0a 0a 49 6e 20 75 73 65 2e 0a 0a 21 41 6c |x...In use...!Al| 00000140 67 65 62 72 61 20 63 61 6e 20 62 65 20 73 74 61 |gebra can be sta| 00000150 72 74 65 64 20 62 79 20 64 6f 75 62 6c 65 2d 63 |rted by double-c| 00000160 6c 69 63 6b 69 6e 67 20 6f 6e 20 69 74 73 20 69 |licking on its i| 00000170 63 6f 6e 20 69 6e 20 74 68 65 20 75 73 75 61 6c |con in the usual| 00000180 20 6d 61 6e 6e 65 72 2e 20 20 57 68 65 6e 20 6c | manner. When l| 00000190 6f 61 64 65 64 2c 20 69 74 73 20 69 63 6f 6e 20 |oaded, its icon | 000001a0 77 69 6c 6c 20 61 70 70 65 61 72 20 6f 6e 20 74 |will appear on t| 000001b0 68 65 20 69 63 6f 6e 20 62 61 72 2e 20 20 41 20 |he icon bar. A | 000001c0 63 6c 69 63 6b 20 68 65 72 65 20 77 69 74 68 20 |click here with | 000001d0 53 45 4c 45 43 54 20 77 69 6c 6c 20 73 68 6f 77 |SELECT will show| 000001e0 20 74 68 65 20 63 61 6c 63 75 6c 61 74 6f 72 20 | the calculator | 000001f0 77 69 6e 64 6f 77 2c 20 77 68 69 6c 65 20 61 20 |window, while a | 00000200 63 6c 69 63 6b 20 77 69 74 68 20 4d 45 4e 55 20 |click with MENU | 00000210 77 69 6c 6c 20 62 72 69 6e 67 20 75 70 20 61 20 |will bring up a | 00000220 73 74 61 6e 64 61 72 64 20 6d 65 6e 75 20 6f 66 |standard menu of| 00000230 66 65 72 69 6e 67 20 49 6e 66 6f 20 61 6e 64 20 |fering Info and | 00000240 74 68 65 20 6f 70 74 69 6f 6e 20 74 6f 20 51 75 |the option to Qu| 00000250 69 74 2e 0a 0a 54 68 65 20 6d 61 69 6e 20 77 69 |it...The main wi| 00000260 6e 64 6f 77 20 63 6f 6e 73 69 73 74 73 20 6f 66 |ndow consists of| 00000270 20 61 6e 20 65 64 69 74 61 62 6c 65 20 66 69 65 | an editable fie| 00000280 6c 64 20 66 6f 72 20 74 68 65 20 66 6f 72 6d 75 |ld for the formu| 00000290 6c 61 2c 20 61 6e 20 69 63 6f 6e 20 74 6f 20 63 |la, an icon to c| 000002a0 6f 6e 74 61 69 6e 20 74 68 65 20 61 6e 73 77 65 |ontain the answe| 000002b0 72 2c 20 61 20 6c 61 72 67 65 20 62 75 74 74 6f |r, a large butto| 000002c0 6e 20 74 6f 20 65 76 61 6c 75 61 74 65 20 74 68 |n to evaluate th| 000002d0 65 20 66 6f 72 6d 75 6c 61 20 61 6e 64 20 32 36 |e formula and 26| 000002e0 20 73 6d 61 6c 6c 65 72 20 65 64 69 74 61 62 6c | smaller editabl| 000002f0 65 20 66 69 65 6c 64 73 20 6c 61 62 65 6c 6c 65 |e fields labelle| 00000300 64 20 41 20 74 6f 20 5a 2e 0a 0a 54 68 65 73 65 |d A to Z...These| 00000310 20 66 69 65 6c 64 73 20 61 72 65 20 74 68 65 20 | fields are the | 00000320 76 61 72 69 61 62 6c 65 73 2e 20 20 49 6e 69 74 |variables. Init| 00000330 69 61 6c 6c 79 20 74 68 65 79 20 61 72 65 20 61 |ially they are a| 00000340 6c 6c 20 73 65 74 20 74 6f 20 7a 65 72 6f 2c 20 |ll set to zero, | 00000350 62 75 74 20 62 79 20 63 6c 69 63 6b 69 6e 67 20 |but by clicking | 00000360 6f 6e 20 6f 6e 65 20 6f 66 20 74 68 65 6d 20 69 |on one of them i| 00000370 74 20 69 73 20 70 6f 73 73 69 62 6c 65 20 74 6f |t is possible to| 00000380 20 61 6c 74 65 72 20 74 68 69 73 2e 0a 0a 54 68 | alter this...Th| 00000390 65 20 76 61 72 69 61 62 6c 65 73 20 63 61 6e 20 |e variables can | 000003a0 62 65 20 74 79 70 65 64 20 69 6e 20 65 69 74 68 |be typed in eith| 000003b0 65 72 20 75 70 70 65 72 20 6f 72 20 6c 6f 77 65 |er upper or lowe| 000003c0 72 20 63 61 73 65 2c 20 74 68 65 20 70 72 6f 67 |r case, the prog| 000003d0 72 61 6d 20 74 72 65 61 74 73 20 74 68 65 6d 20 |ram treats them | 000003e0 61 73 20 62 65 69 6e 67 20 74 68 65 20 73 61 6d |as being the sam| 000003f0 65 2e 0a 0a 76 3d 75 2b 61 74 20 69 73 20 61 20 |e...v=u+at is a | 00000400 63 6f 6d 6d 6f 6e 20 66 6f 72 6d 75 6c 61 20 69 |common formula i| 00000410 6e 20 50 68 79 73 69 63 73 2e 20 20 49 74 20 72 |n Physics. It r| 00000420 65 6c 61 74 65 73 20 74 68 65 20 63 6f 6e 73 74 |elates the const| 00000430 61 6e 74 20 61 63 63 65 6c 65 72 61 74 69 6f 6e |ant acceleration| 00000440 2c 20 61 2c 20 77 69 74 68 20 74 68 65 20 74 69 |, a, with the ti| 00000450 6d 65 2c 20 74 2c 20 74 68 65 20 69 6e 69 74 69 |me, t, the initi| 00000460 61 6c 20 76 65 6c 6f 63 69 74 79 2c 20 75 2c 20 |al velocity, u, | 00000470 61 6e 64 20 74 68 65 20 66 69 6e 61 6c 20 76 65 |and the final ve| 00000480 6c 6f 63 69 74 79 2c 20 76 2e 0a 0a 54 6f 20 66 |locity, v...To f| 00000490 69 6e 64 20 74 68 65 20 76 61 6c 75 65 20 6f 66 |ind the value of| 000004a0 20 76 20 77 68 65 6e 20 74 3d 32 20 73 2c 20 75 | v when t=2 s, u| 000004b0 3d 34 20 6d 73 2d b9 20 61 6e 64 20 61 3d 31 30 |=4 ms-. and a=10| 000004c0 20 6d 73 2d b2 20 74 68 65 20 66 6f 6c 6c 6f 77 | ms-. the follow| 000004d0 69 6e 67 20 73 74 65 70 73 20 61 72 65 20 6e 65 |ing steps are ne| 000004e0 63 65 73 73 61 72 79 3a 0a 0a 31 2e 20 54 79 70 |cessary:..1. Typ| 000004f0 65 20 74 68 65 20 66 6f 72 6d 75 6c 61 20 75 2b |e the formula u+| 00000500 61 74 20 69 6e 74 6f 20 74 68 65 20 46 6f 72 6d |at into the Form| 00000510 75 6c 61 20 69 63 6f 6e 20 28 20 74 68 65 20 76 |ula icon ( the v| 00000520 3d 20 69 73 20 6e 6f 74 20 72 65 71 75 69 72 65 |= is not require| 00000530 64 20 29 2e 0a 32 2e 20 54 79 70 65 20 20 32 20 |d )..2. Type 2 | 00000540 69 6e 74 6f 20 74 68 65 20 54 3d 20 69 63 6f 6e |into the T= icon| 00000550 2e 0a 33 2e 20 54 79 70 65 20 20 34 20 69 6e 74 |..3. Type 4 int| 00000560 6f 20 74 68 65 20 55 3d 20 69 63 6f 6e 2e 0a 34 |o the U= icon..4| 00000570 2e 20 54 79 70 65 20 31 30 20 69 6e 74 6f 20 74 |. Type 10 into t| 00000580 68 65 20 41 3d 20 69 63 6f 6e 2e 0a 35 2e 20 43 |he A= icon..5. C| 00000590 6c 69 63 6b 20 6f 6e 20 45 76 61 6c 75 61 74 65 |lick on Evaluate| 000005a0 2e 0a 0a 54 68 65 20 61 6e 73 77 65 72 2c 20 32 |...The answer, 2| 000005b0 34 2c 20 61 70 70 65 61 72 73 20 69 6e 20 74 68 |4, appears in th| 000005c0 65 20 41 6e 73 77 65 72 20 69 63 6f 6e 2e 0a 0a |e Answer icon...| 000005d0 54 6f 20 62 65 67 69 6e 20 61 6e 65 77 2c 20 63 |To begin anew, c| 000005e0 6c 69 63 6b 20 6f 6e 20 74 68 65 20 43 6c 65 61 |lick on the Clea| 000005f0 72 20 69 63 6f 6e 2e 20 20 54 68 65 20 76 61 72 |r icon. The var| 00000600 69 61 62 6c 65 73 20 77 69 6c 6c 20 61 6c 6c 20 |iables will all | 00000610 62 65 20 63 6c 65 61 72 65 64 2c 20 61 73 20 77 |be cleared, as w| 00000620 69 6c 6c 20 74 68 65 20 41 6e 73 77 65 72 20 69 |ill the Answer i| 00000630 63 6f 6e 2e 20 20 54 68 65 20 66 6f 72 6d 75 6c |con. The formul| 00000640 61 20 77 69 6c 6c 20 72 65 6d 61 69 6e 2c 20 68 |a will remain, h| 00000650 6f 77 65 76 65 72 2c 20 74 6f 20 62 65 20 75 73 |owever, to be us| 00000660 65 64 20 61 67 61 69 6e 2e 0a 0a 41 20 63 6c 69 |ed again...A cli| 00000670 63 6b 20 77 69 74 68 20 4d 45 4e 55 20 69 6e 20 |ck with MENU in | 00000680 74 68 65 20 6d 61 69 6e 20 77 69 6e 64 6f 77 20 |the main window | 00000690 77 69 6c 6c 20 73 68 6f 77 20 61 20 74 68 72 65 |will show a thre| 000006a0 65 2d 6f 70 74 69 6f 6e 20 6d 65 6e 75 2e 20 20 |e-option menu. | 000006b0 49 74 20 63 6f 6e 74 61 69 6e 73 20 74 68 65 20 |It contains the | 000006c0 75 73 75 61 6c 20 49 6e 66 6f 20 6f 70 74 69 6f |usual Info optio| 000006d0 6e 2c 20 62 75 74 20 74 68 65 20 6f 74 68 65 72 |n, but the other| 000006e0 20 74 77 6f 20 6f 70 74 69 6f 6e 73 20 61 72 65 | two options are| 000006f0 20 72 61 74 68 65 72 20 6d 6f 72 65 20 69 6e 74 | rather more int| 00000700 65 72 65 73 74 69 6e 67 2e 0a 0a 54 68 65 20 66 |eresting...The f| 00000710 6f 72 6d 75 6c 61 20 66 6f 72 20 74 68 65 20 61 |ormula for the a| 00000720 72 65 61 20 6f 66 20 61 20 63 69 72 63 6c 65 20 |rea of a circle | 00000730 69 73 20 41 3d 50 49 72 b2 2e 20 20 54 68 65 20 |is A=PIr.. The | 00000740 63 6f 6d 70 75 74 65 72 20 64 6f 65 73 6e 27 74 |computer doesn't| 00000750 20 72 65 63 6f 67 6e 69 73 65 20 50 49 2c 20 69 | recognise PI, i| 00000760 74 20 70 72 65 73 75 6d 65 73 20 74 68 61 74 20 |t presumes that | 00000770 79 6f 75 20 6d 65 61 6e 20 50 2a 49 2c 20 77 68 |you mean P*I, wh| 00000780 69 63 68 20 69 73 20 6e 6f 6e 73 65 6e 73 65 2e |ich is nonsense.| 00000790 20 20 54 6f 20 75 73 65 20 50 49 2c 20 63 6c 69 | To use PI, cli| 000007a0 63 6b 20 77 69 74 68 20 53 45 4c 45 43 54 20 6f |ck with SELECT o| 000007b0 6e 20 74 68 65 20 70 69 20 6f 70 74 69 6f 6e 20 |n the pi option | 000007c0 6f 66 20 74 68 65 20 43 6f 6e 73 74 61 6e 74 20 |of the Constant | 000007d0 73 75 62 2d 6d 65 6e 75 2e 0a 0a 41 73 20 49 20 |sub-menu...As I | 000007e0 77 72 69 74 65 20 74 68 69 73 20 69 6e 20 21 45 |write this in !E| 000007f0 64 69 74 2c 20 49 20 6d 6f 76 65 20 74 68 65 20 |dit, I move the | 00000800 70 6f 69 6e 74 65 72 20 74 6f 20 74 68 65 20 21 |pointer to the !| 00000810 41 6c 67 65 62 72 61 20 6d 61 69 6e 20 77 69 6e |Algebra main win| 00000820 64 6f 77 20 61 6e 64 20 63 6c 69 63 6b 20 4d 45 |dow and click ME| 00000830 4e 55 2e 20 20 49 20 73 65 6c 65 63 74 20 43 6f |NU. I select Co| 00000840 6e 73 74 61 6e 74 3e 70 69 20 61 6e 64 20 74 68 |nstant>pi and th| 00000850 65 20 6e 75 6d 62 65 72 20 33 2e 31 34 31 35 39 |e number 3.14159| 00000860 32 36 35 34 20 61 70 70 65 61 72 73 20 69 6e 20 |2654 appears in | 00000870 6d 79 20 21 45 64 69 74 20 77 69 6e 64 6f 77 2e |my !Edit window.| 00000880 20 20 54 68 69 73 20 61 70 70 6c 69 65 73 20 74 | This applies t| 00000890 6f 20 61 6c 6c 20 74 68 65 20 63 6f 6e 73 74 61 |o all the consta| 000008a0 6e 74 73 2e 20 20 54 68 65 79 20 77 69 6c 6c 20 |nts. They will | 000008b0 61 70 70 65 61 72 20 61 74 20 74 68 65 20 63 61 |appear at the ca| 000008c0 72 65 74 2e 0a 0a 54 68 65 20 6f 74 68 65 72 20 |ret...The other | 000008d0 63 6f 6e 73 74 61 6e 74 73 20 61 72 65 20 2d 0a |constants are -.| 000008e0 0a 65 2c 20 74 68 65 20 62 61 73 65 20 6f 66 20 |.e, the base of | 000008f0 6e 61 74 75 72 61 6c 20 6c 6f 67 61 72 69 74 68 |natural logarith| 00000900 6d 73 2e 0a 67 2c 20 74 68 65 20 61 63 63 65 6c |ms..g, the accel| 00000910 65 72 61 74 69 6f 6e 20 6f 66 20 66 72 65 65 20 |eration of free | 00000920 66 61 6c 6c 20 64 75 65 20 74 6f 20 67 72 61 76 |fall due to grav| 00000930 69 74 79 20 28 69 6e 20 6d 73 2d b2 29 2e 0a 63 |ity (in ms-.)..c| 00000940 2c 20 74 68 65 20 73 70 65 65 64 20 6f 66 20 6c |, the speed of l| 00000950 69 67 68 74 20 69 6e 20 76 61 63 75 6f 20 28 69 |ight in vacuo (i| 00000960 6e 20 6d 73 2d b9 29 2e 0a 0a 54 68 65 20 66 69 |n ms-.)...The fi| 00000970 6e 61 6c 20 6f 70 74 69 6f 6e 20 6f 6e 20 74 68 |nal option on th| 00000980 65 20 6d 65 6e 75 20 69 73 20 48 65 6c 70 2e 20 |e menu is Help. | 00000990 20 54 68 69 73 20 70 6f 70 73 20 75 70 20 61 20 | This pops up a | 000009a0 77 69 6e 64 6f 77 20 67 69 76 69 6e 67 20 62 72 |window giving br| 000009b0 69 65 66 20 68 65 6c 70 20 6f 6e 20 73 75 63 68 |ief help on such| 000009c0 20 74 68 69 6e 67 73 20 61 73 20 6f 70 65 72 61 | things as opera| 000009d0 74 6f 72 20 70 72 65 63 65 64 65 6e 63 65 2c 20 |tor precedence, | 000009e0 61 6e 64 20 6f 74 68 65 72 20 74 65 63 68 6e 69 |and other techni| 000009f0 63 61 6c 20 64 65 74 61 69 6c 73 2e 20 20 41 74 |cal details. At| 00000a00 20 74 68 65 20 62 6f 74 74 6f 6d 20 6f 66 20 74 | the bottom of t| 00000a10 68 65 20 77 69 6e 64 6f 77 20 69 73 20 61 6e 20 |he window is an | 00000a20 4f 4b 20 62 75 74 74 6f 6e 20 77 68 69 63 68 20 |OK button which | 00000a30 77 69 6c 6c 20 72 65 6d 6f 76 65 20 74 68 65 20 |will remove the | 00000a40 77 69 6e 64 6f 77 2e 0a 0a 45 6c 6c 69 6f 74 74 |window...Elliott| 00000a50 20 48 75 67 68 65 73 2e | Hughes.| 00000a58
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