RPNCALC -------------------- PetroLogic Copyright (c) 1989 by Scott T. Schad ALL RIGHTS RESERVED --------------------------------------- RPNCALC is | shareware. | | If it fits | your pistol, | please become a | registered user | by sending $25 | to: | | PetroLogic | 427 S. Boston | Suite 104 | Philtower Building | Tulsa, Oklahoma 74103 --------------------------------------- Your support will encourage me to upgrade the program, make it smaller, and come out with more nifty-keeno stuff! --------------------------------------- * Obligatory Philosophy Statement * There are scientific calculators, and there are pocket computers, but it seems never the twain shall meet. I got tired of carrying a Psion Organiser for phone numbers, an HP71B for engineering calculations, and a Sinclair Z88 for taking notes. Surely, I thought, there is a better way. RPNCALC is my attempt to turn the Atari Portfolio into the ideal engineer's companion and dispense with the rest. /\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\ DOCUMENTATION FOR ATARI PORTFOLIO VERSION \/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/ RPNCALC emulates a Reverse Polish Notation scientific calculator on the Atari Portfolio. You move the sliding bar using the up and down cursors, to determine which row of math functions is active when you press the F1-F4 keys. Unlike other RPN calculators, the four level stack is displayed at all times so you can keep track of entries. The ESCAPE key exits the program. Before you start RPNCALC you must put the Portfolio screen refresh mode in 'Keys', otherwise you will get an empty screen. You can only change the sign of a number or exponent with the CHS function key (pressing '-' just subtracts x from y). To change the sign of an exponent, type an 'E' or 'e' immediately after the number and press CHS. So to type in a negative number raised to a negative power you: type the number; press CHS; type 'E'; press CHS; then type the exponent. The FIX key expects a number from 0-16 in the x register, and trims internal precision to that number of decimals. The default FIX setting is 16. The R-P key takes x and y values and leaves the polar radius in x with the angle in y. P-R reverses the calculation. 'DEG' and 'rad' indicate trig mode by capitalization. LOG is the base 10 logarithm, while LN is the natural or naperian logarithm (base 'e'). LSX returns the last x-register value used in a calculation. STO and RCL provide access to a single storage register. Note that there are several keyboard shortcuts for fast stack manipulation: (R)oll up; (r)oll down; (D)elete; (S)wap; (C)lear all registers; (c)lear x register. Function key summary: --------------------------------------- 1st bar position: (1/x x^2 SQR y^x) F1=inverse of x F2=x squared F3=square root of x F4=y raised to x power --------------------------------------- 2nd bar position: (log 10^x ln e^x) F1=base 10 logarithm of x F2=10 raised to x power F3=base "e" logarithm of x F4="e" raised to x power --------------------------------------- 3rd bar position: (sin cos tan pi) F1=sine of x F2=cosine of x F3=tangent of x F4=pi (3.14...) --------------------------------------- 4th bar position: (asn acs atn fix) F1=arcsine of x F2=arccosine of x F3=arctangent of x F4=fixes x number of decimals --------------------------------------- 5th bar position: (r-p p-r int frc) F1=changes x,y to radius,angle F2=changes radius,angle to x,y F3=keeps integer portion of x F4=keeps fractional portion of x --------------------------------------- 6th bar position: (lsx DEG rad del) F1=recalls last x value F2=sets degrees mode F3=sets radians mode F4=deletes x and rolls up stack --------------------------------------- 7th bar position: (up clr sto rcl) F1=roll up stack F2=clear all registers F3=copy x to storage register F4=recall x from storage register --------------------------------------- 8th bar position: (dn swp clx chs) F1=roll down stack F2=swap x & y F3=clear x, set=0 F4=change sign of x or of exponent --------------------------------------- Remember that ESCAPE is the exit key. --------------------------------------- Please feel free to send suggestions, comments, questions via CompuServe to Scott T. Schad, ID# 73720,1166.