Calculator input methods

A Button-operated calculator is a hardware or software calculator which is operated using button - as oposed to a Formula calculator which is operated thrue entering formulars thue a keyboard.

Reverse Polish Notation

Main article: Reverse Polish Notation

infix logic

algebraic logic

BASIC notation

Main article: Pocket computer

Direct algebraic logic (D.A.L.)

Direct algebraic logic (D.A.L.) is a method for entering equations on scientific calculators which allows symbols and numbers to be entered as they are written. SHARP introduced it in 1992^[1]. Today D.A.L. is used almost with every scientific calculator except those which use Reverse Polish Notation.

Other known entry modes are Algebraic logic (A.L.) which was used in earlier calculators and BASIC notation which was used BASIC programmable Pocket computers. Both can be seen as ancestors to D.A.L.

Example: ${\displaystyle \sin 30\times \cos 30}$ 

with reverse polish notation

3 0 SIN 3 0 COS ×

with algebraic logic

3 0 SIN × 3 0 COS =

with BASIC notation

SIN ( 3 0 ) × COS ( 3 0 ) ENTER

with direct algebraic logic

SIN 3 0 → × COS 3 0 ENTER

Note 1: the →: most DAL calculators will automatically insert needed ( ) and the → skips over the ) from the sin operation. Machines equipped with an alphanumeric display will display SIN(30)×COS(30) before pressing ENTER. Note 2: Some but not all BASIC programmable Pocket computers had dedicated trigonometric keys ^[2].

References

1. D.A.L description from Sharp
2. The picture of the FX-880P show sin, cos and tan keys on the second row right hand side.

External links