RPN Crunch

About

A full featured RPN calculator.

User Interface, normal keys & shifted keys

Basic Operation

Startup: The calculator starts up with same stack contents and mode state from last shut down.

Stack: The stack has from 0 to 36 (3 dozen) registers. The bottom X register is shown. The number of registers will change with push (adds register), and pop (removes register) operations. The stack is manipulated with yellow keys or typed lower case letters.

You push all numbers (on which you'll perform operations) onto the stack with 'enter' key (push). After a math or stack operation, the next number is automatically pushed onto stack (without 'enter' key).

Before performing a math operation, the stack is saved as last stack, and the number(s), under which the operation operates, are popped from stack. The result is pushed onto stack.

Numbers: You use the blue keys or typed digits to enter numbers. Letter digits are upper case. 

Math operations: For math operations, you use the orange keys, or typed lower case letters.

Shift key: The shift key will show another level of stack, number, and math operations.

Dozenal Configuration Option

RPN Crunch is is a full fledged dozenal (base twelve, duodecimal) floating point calculator. When in dozenal base ('doz'), the keypad is 3 x 4 layout for number entry. All dropdown options display in dozenal. The fractional separator (dozenal point) is the semicolon. The ten and eleven digits can be AB, ↊↋ (rotated 23), TE, XE, XL. The layout, and fractional separator can be independently changed from base, but changing base will change all to anticipated optimized configuration. Conversion options include the dozenal metric system units, which use powers of a dozen for milli-, kilo-. For the Date data type, there is a dozenal friendly nuAge, 6 day week calendar. There are dozenal friendly time format options.

Users are encouraged to experiment with Dozenal (base twelve, duodecimal). There's a community of people who advocate using dozenal instead of decimal (base ten). A dozen is divisible by 2, 3, 4, 6, while ten is only divisible by 2, 5. There's a dozen months, a dozen hours in a half day. Each of our 4 fingers have 3 sections. This allows arithmetic in dozenal on our fingers. Measurement systems would be changed to powers of dozens rather than tens.

Supplemental Usage Notes

First time permission screen

The RPN Crunch app includes 2-way currency conversions to/from or from/to USD (US dollars), EUR (EU euro), CNY (China yaun), JPY (Japan yen), INR (India rupee), GBP (GB pound), CAD (canada dollar), AUD (Australia dollar), NZD (New Zealand dollar), and CHF (Swiss franc). 

Currency conversions are done with today's rate, using an api service from swop.cx. We import only the exchange rate data for the supported currencies. Data only goes through Google's secure servers. (the RPN Crunch app only runs on Google servers) We trust the swap.cx service. RPN Crunch has no access to your private data.

When first starting RPN Crunch you're presented with a Permission Screen. At present this app is "unverified" by Google, and the screen inidicates this, You're asked to log into your Google account, and then, asked to "Allow" the app to "Connect to an external service". 

• If you're comfortable with this, you can click "Allow" to authorize, and RPN Crunch will startup. 

• If you're uncomfortable, click "Cancel". The app won't start. For a similar calculator app, requiring no such permission, you might consider our Simple Dozenal calculator.

When first using the paste command, the browser will need authorization, as described in web app' s Help page.

Revision History

May 2022, Ver 2.0 

• Changed base conversion and formatting code to a library, which runs on server. This allows common library use with Google Sheets. 

• All operations that update stack now execute on the server. Calls to the server result in approx 200 to 300 ms delay. While server is busy, key entry is ignored. Number and command line input remains on client-side, for performance reasons.

• Added fractional separator (dot, comma, semicolon) and thousand separator (comma, space, none) options to formatting of the base string representations of numbers. Fixed minor formatting bugs

• Number Keypad can be configured for either decimal 0 + 3 x 3 keypad for 1 to 9,  or dozenal 3 x 4 keypad for 0 to B (elv) layout. Depending on base setting, letter digits change from g-shift to main key.

• Stack size and drop down options for Places display in dec, doz, or hex base setting.

• Export history to Google Sheet on user's drive (when authorized). Improved readability.

• New last stack operation, instead of last x, which acts as an 'undo'

• Stack size reduced from 100 to 36 (3 dozen). History entries reduced from 500 to 432 (3 gross). Considered more in line with user requirements, and with inclusion of storing the last stack, and data types of register contents, in line with prior storage space.

Aug 2022, Ver 2.1

• So no loss of key entry, a key entry queue was added. While the server is busy, keys entry pushed to queue, but the processing of key queue is delayed until the server returns.

• Minor performance improvements to server delay for processing of stack commands.

Oct 2022, Ver 2.2

• A Date data type replaces the earlier pseudo date and time formats. An (elapsed) Days data type is also introduced. These support Date and Time math, date +/- date = days, date +/- days = date, and days +/- days = days. 

• A calendar and time library was created. This supported the new Date data type. Settings for 3 Calendars (Gregorian, nuAge, and cal454) were added. For each calendar, there's 3 settings for winter solstice and new year combinations, sol21DecNY1Jan, sol1DecNY1Mar, and sol1JanNY1Jan. There's 3 settings for Time, hour:minutes, hour:millidozenthDay, and dozenthDay:millidozenthDay. 

• Paste and Copy updated to support new date and days data types.

• Improved implementation of key queue and processing engine for queue. 

• Keypad layout setting changed to Configure setting, decimal or dozenal. Now enabled even if using Command Line entry. For US/British conversions to/from Metric units, specifies upon which powers to use (tens or dozens) for milli- and kilo- units. If in base bin (binary), specifies how Places and Date displayed (decimal or dozenal).

• Minor fix to base conversion library so base representation of "-0.nn" converts to negative number.

• Help files updated for date, and days data types, and Calendar and Time settings and use. Many minor improvements for all usage.

• Authorization screen for Google API Services requiring user permission is better integrated.

Feb 2023, Ver 2.3

• Changed how exchange rates and history export implemented. 

  • Removed Google api SpreadsheetApp call. Required read write OAuth permission from users. Was needed to create a spreadsheet for exchange rates, using Google finance functions; and was used to create a history export spreadsheet. While app didn't read or alter any other files on users' Google drive, the permission seemed like big ask for the functionality provided.

  • Instead implemented exchange rate conversions with Google api UrlFetchApp call to swop.cx website. Requires external site request OAuth permission, so can obtains exchange rates.  All traffic is over https protocol on only Google servers, and access is only with swop.cx website to obtain exchange rates. Much less security risk for users. History can be exported to users file (doc or sheet) by selecting history text in history page, copying with Ctrl+C, and in user file, pasting with Ctrl+V.

• Added CAD, AUD, NZD, and CHF currencies. 

• With removal of xph key (export history), moved f-conv, g-const from bsp key to last key, moved f-cla, g-reset to bsp key, moved f-clh to swxy key.

• In command line mode, the help page displayed to right (landscape) or bottom (portrait) of stack. Updated so now all subpages (i.e. History, Settings, Conversions, Constants) display to right or bottom of stack

• Added 'conv' command to display conversion page. Prior there were 2 to 4 letter commands to do conversion, for a subset of possible combinations of unit conversions. With keypad mode, this same subset was all that was possible. For both command mode and keypad mode the conversion page now allows entry of a 'from Unit' and 'to Unit', allowing all combinations of conversion between units.  Added a time category. All categories include dozenal metric units.

• Added Constants page with 'cons' key, and 'cons' command. Following constants provided:  c light speed, h planck's, e elementary charge, deltavCs, frequency of Cs-133, k boltzmann's, NA avogadro's, kcd luminocity, G gravitational.

• fixed finance function interest conversion bug between bases, i = i / base^2

• Added program title and icon which display in browser tab. 

• Updated help. Added app logo and fobsplace logo images to help about page. Added 2 screenshots to help file, and Quick Start, and Advanced Keys sections to Getting Started Category. Updated help file for changes to exchange rates, history copy/paste (export), conversions, and constants.

Mar 2023, ver 3.0, 

New code project. Implemented all past features, with following additions:

• Changed the interface to be cleaner, based on our simple Dozenal calculator.  

• Attention was paid to optimizing text size and key size for phone use.

• Dozenal ten and elv can be AB, ↊↋ (rotated 23), or TE. 

• Shift key toggles colors to signal shift state. 

• Probability functions fact, perm, comb renamed to n!, npr, ncr.  Finance function iar renamed to iadj.

• iconv added to convert amount of interest in one base, to another base. Finance operations use amount to represent amount/base^2.

• Changed copy to put formatted X register into clipboard rather than unformatted X register

• When history is current page, Ctrl+C copies selected history entries to clipboard

• Help file condensed and simplified.  Added more examples. Added normal and shifted keys screenshots to help.

Apr 2023, ver 3.1,

• Added Stack page, to display all stack registers

• Fixed pol (to polar coordinates) bug, so angle in right quadrant.

• Updated and improved help page. Added vector example.

May 2023, ver 3..2

• Fixed rounding error, e.g. 0.125 with places = 2, is now, 0.13 (not 0.12). 

• Fixed iadj, was ignoring call.

• Added conversion options: kL, Mg units; kzL, Mzg dozenal units.

• Shift key when shifted is now colored cyan (rather than reddish orange, in order to respect the red reserved for danger convention).

• Updated help file; improved web app update help, and added explanation for dozenal metric conversions.  

Jun 2023, ver 3.3

• Added support for calendar and clock settings options. Clock settings all use seconds.

• Updated dateConv library for clock settings, updated RPN Crunch to use new ver.

• Fixed a grid issue to tidy up display

• Updated help for calendar and clock settings options

• improved key queue explanation, probability help, and dozenal metric conversion help.

• Updated logo and icon to better match RPN Crunch3 interface

Jul 2023, ver 3.4

• Fixed reset, and restoration of prior data state bug

• RPN code that implemented other then A = ten, B = elv digit options, moved to be within baseConv library. RPN Crunch code modified to use new library version.

Sep 2023, ver 3.5

• Calendar and Clock settings themselves remain the same, but implementation uses a new date conversion library, dateConv2, ver 8.  This corrects a number of timezone related bugs. 

  • All dates display in the browser time zone, which defaults to system setting. There's date setting option to change to any timezone. 

  • Date constants have been added for New Year, March equinox, June solstice, September equinox, and December solstice. Solar event dates are more accurate and are based on a 400 year cycle, and within a year, from the March equinox, the average time between solar events over recent 10 year period. 

  • Date format is 'ddmmyyyy.hhmmss' (reversed ISO 8601), or 'yyyymmdd.hhmmss' (ISO 8601).

  • There are icons when New Year, or solar event dates display. 

  • The date and days display supports dozenal ten and elv digits other than AB.

• Added dates settings page.

• Added  δε (delta epsilon), τε (tau epsilon), XE, XL options for ten, elv symbols. Added digd (digits decrement) word command. When change to hex, ten, elv change to AB. When change back to doz, ten, elv are back to prior digits setting. Updated baseConv lib to ver 14 (fixed issue). 

• Updated color names, red-magenta, green-yellow, green-cyan

• All images hosted at imgbb.com, (rather than google drive) to improve reliability of image loading, and provide Firefox compatibility.

• Help has been updated for new features.

• As state data structure has changed, a one time 'reset' is done at startup. This results in loss of prior state data (stack and settings return to default values).

Aug 2024, ver 3.6

• Images are now embedded in code. No more time out delays from image hosting service, imgbb.com. Updated browser icon retrieval. Improved server data storage/retrieval between uses.