ubuntu-phone team mailing list archive

[Bruno Girin <brunogirin@xxxxxxxxx>]

On 02/03/13 21:03, Dalius wrote:
> Hi,
>
> So with calculator we have following problem: we have not followed
> completely proposed design from Canonical and made it more
> complicated. Basically question is if we should show less in screen
> (as in design) or more (as implemented). Less will mean that we would
> need to remove scientific buttons and some other functionality now.
> That adds some limitations as well IMO. I would like to hear community
> opinion and preferences.
>
> Here I have tried to sum up what problems I see with too much simplicity:
> http://devblog.sandbox.lt/ubuntu_phone_calculator_design.html

Regarding the "unforgiving" nature, I agree that a backspace button
would be nice. The Sailfish one is actually the MeeGo one :-)

Regarding the limitations, I don't think the simple design forces the
operation to be done on the running total, as long as the calculator is
able to apply operator precedence properly. To take your office supply
example for pencils, papers and scissors, if you type "1.05 × 5 + 10.00
× 7 + 28.79 × 8" then the calculator should understand operator
precedence and calculate "(1.05 × 5) + (10.00 × 7) + (28.79 × 8)". The
fact that the operation is presented differently than in your current
implementation should not affect the way it's calculated. With your
current implementation, what do you get when you enter "1.05 × 5 + 10.00
× 7 + 28.79 × 8" as is with not parentheses?

Now the question about how to re-use previous calculations or show them
is a good question: the Canonical designs don't explain that so they
need expanding. I think the idea is that old calculations are actually
stored on the device so that you can review them later, even if you
closed the app in between.

Cheers,

Bruno