OpenCalculate is an open-source calculator application designed to perform a wide range of scientific and engineering calculations, including physics, astronomy, electromagnetism, chemistry, calculus, and fluid dynamics. This project features a user-friendly graphical interface built with Tkinter in Python, allowing users to compute values such as elastic collisions, Ohm's Law, parallax distances, pH levels, derivatives, integrals, and more, including a specialized orifice plate calculator for gas flow in imperial units.
Initially, this project was developed in C++ due to its performance advantages and control over system resources. However, I decided to transition to Python for several reasons:
- Ease of Development: Python's simplicity and extensive libraries (e.g., Tkinter for GUI) accelerate development and prototyping.
- Community Support: Python has a larger community and better documentation, making it easier to troubleshoot and expand the project.
- Cross-Platform Compatibility: Python's portability reduces the effort needed to adapt the application across different operating systems. Despite this shift, I plan to fork the original C++ version to maintain it as a separate project, preserving its performance benefits for users who prefer a compiled, high-efficiency solution.
- Prerequisites:
- Ensure Python 3.x is installed (
python3 --version). - Install Tkinter:
sudo apt-get install python3-tk(for Debian/Ubuntu-based systems).
- Ensure Python 3.x is installed (
- Install Dependencies:
- No additional dependencies are required beyond the standard library.
- Compile and Run:
- Navigate to the project directory:
cd /path/to/OpenCalculate. - Run the application:
python3 opencalculate.py. - The GUI will launch, and you can select tabs to perform calculations.
- Navigate to the project directory:
- Prerequisites:
- Install Python 3.x from python.org.
- During installation, check "Add Python to PATH" and ensure Tkinter is included (it is by default with the standard installer).
- Install Dependencies:
- No additional packages are needed if using the official Python installer.
- Compile and Run:
- Open a Command Prompt or PowerShell.
- Navigate to the project directory:
cd \path\to\OpenCalculate. - Run the application:
python opencalculate.py. - The GUI will appear, ready for use.
- Launch the application using the instructions above.
- Use the home tab to navigate to different calculation categories.
- Input values in the provided fields, and click "Calculate" to see results.
- Clear fields with the "Clear" button and return to menus with "Back".
- I will fork the C++ version to a separate repository for users interested in a compiled alternative.
- Enhance the orifice plate calculator with additional gas properties and unit conversions.
- Add more calculation modules.
This project is open-source under the MIT License. See the LICENSE file for details.
For questions or contributions, please open an issue on the GitHub repository or contact the maintainer.