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https://github.com/samrap/algebrasolver

A command line interface program for calculating algebraic equations and expressions written in Python
https://github.com/samrap/algebrasolver

Last synced: 8 months ago
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A command line interface program for calculating algebraic equations and expressions written in Python

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README 

          
#Algebra Solver 1.0



---------------------------------------------------------------



###Written by: Sam Rapaport

###Contact: samrapdev.com

###Report a bug: rapaport.sam7@gmail.com



---------------------------------------------------------------



Algebra Solver is a command line application for solving simple

and complicated algebraic formulas and equations. The interface

combines Python's IDLE prompt style with the simple notation of

command line functions for an easy-to-learn command line function

calculator. Users, read sections 1-4 to learn about easy

installation and the various functions this program has to offer!

Devlopers, skip to section 5 for a quick intro on the structure

of the program.



>> **Table of Contents**



>>* Section 1:        Installation

* Section 2:          Running the program

* Section 3:          Navigating around

* Section 4:          Using the manuals

* Section 5:          Developers



---------------------------------------------------------------



## Section 1 | Installation



Welcome to Algebra Solver! In this section we will go over the

installation process. It is very simple,  but if you've never

used the command line, you'll need to pay attention.  Most of

the instructions apply to all platforms, but in general they

refer to Mac OSX/Unix and Linux operating systems. If you are on

Windows, a quick tutorial on the command line is recommended.



1. The first step is to save this folder to somewhere that is

easy to get to. I suggest saving it straight to your Desktop,

but it is completely up to you. The following instructions

will assume the folder (called a directory) is saved to the

desktop. Once the directory is saved to the desktop, open the

terminal. On Mac, the terminal is located in the Applications

folder under "utilities". Open the app, wait for $ to show up

and type the following ( means to type the enter/return

key, do not type ''):



    cd Desktop/algebrasolver



(Note that if you saved the algebra folder somewhere besides

the desktop, you will need to replace that command with the

correct path. If you don't know what that means, it is best

to just save it in your Desktop.)



---------------------------------------------------------------



## Section 2 | Running the program



1. You are now inside of the application folder. To start the

application type:



    python algebra.py



2. The app should now be up and running, with a '>>>' prompt

displayed. Read ahead to see how to use the app!



---------------------------------------------------------------



## Section 3 | Navigating around



Now we will look at how to navigate around the program and use

all the awesome functions. Now that the folder is installed in

the Desktop, to use the program from now on, all you have to do

is open the terminal and type:



    cd Desktop/algebrasolver

    python algebra.py



(Remember  means hit the 'enter' or 'return' key, do not

type 'enter'!)



The first time the program is started, a prompt asking you to

create a username will pop up. Type a username and hit 

or skip it by typing ! and then 



Everytime the program opens, the following prompt is displayed:



    Algebra Solver 1.0

    Type 'man' for more info

    >>>



Type the word 'man' (short for manual) to open up the user

manual. A short text file will be displayed showing the various

commands you can type in to calculate an equation. Don't worry

about accidentally entering the wrong thing, an error message

will be displayed and then you can continue on. Let's take a

look at using a function on the algebra command line:



    >>> s

    Enter coordinate one (x,y): 



Typing 's' and hitting enter opens the slope command. The

slope command returns the slope between two points on a line.

Notice that once the command is opened, a prompt is displayed

that says to enter the first set of coordinates in (x,y) format.



    >>>s

    Enter coordinate one (x,y): (3,4)

    Enter coordinate two (x,y): (5,6)

    1



After entering both points, the answer is returned. In this case

the slope is 1. Once a command has been finished the '>>>'

prompt returns, and you can use the same command or a new one.



----------------------------------------------------------------



## Section 4 | Using the manuals



The user manuals are a very important resource. They are short,

(much shorter than this I promise) easy to understand references

for using the various commands in this application. To open the

main manual, type 'man', and a text file will pop up with a list

of all the commands. Type 'q' to exit the manual and return to

the program. 



If you need help with a specific command, type 'man xcmd' where

'xcmd' is replaced by the name of the command you need help with.

There are specific manuals for every command in this application,

so if you're not sure how to use a command or you keep getting

an error message, check out the manual on the command to help

you out.



---------------------------------------------------------------



## Section 5 | Developers



[This section is for developers, you can stop reading if you

just want to use this application and not contribute to the

project.]



### 5.1 | Introduction to file structure



The filesystem of this application is very simple:



    /algebrasolver

        README

        algebra.py

        /config

        /extras

        /manuals



algebra.py is the main app script. It contains the interface

and program startup. Read the docstrings in-script to learn

more about the specifics. 



/config contains the main calculation module, alg.py. If you

want to add more functionality, edit alg.py. Read the doc-

strings to get more info on the manual. /config Also contains

the JSON file userinfo.json, which is updated via userinfo.py

(also located in /config). The userinfo JSON file stores the

user's name and command history. The userinfo Python script edits

the file if the user wants to change their name, or clear the

command history.



/manuals is a directory of all the user manual text files. The

name of the manual must match the name of the command (with the

addition of .txt extension), because the manuals are accessed

via the command name. See method OpenFile in the InputHandler

class in algebra.py for more info.



### 5.2 | Adding a new calculation function



Let's say you want to add a new calculation function to the

program. For the sake of simplicity, the function you want to add

prints the sum of two input values, x and y.



>> Write the function in /config/alg.py:



    def sumxy(x, y):

        """Include a docstring explaining function if necessary"""

        print x + y

        return x + y



>> Add the input handling method in the InputHandler class in

/algebra.py:



    class InputHandler():

        # other methods



        # your method

        def HandleSum(self):

            # handle input

            # call to alg.sumxy(x, y)



>> If the method has options and therefore requires a flag, add

the line



>> `if not self.ValidateFlag('command', flag): return False`



>> To validate the flag, where `'command'` is the name of the

command. Be sure to add a valid flags list to the ValidateFlag

method.



    class InputHandler():

        # other methods



        # your method

        def HandleSum(self, flag=False):

            # validate flag

            if not self.ValidateFlag('command', flag): return False

            # handle input

            # call to alg.sumxy(x, y)

    

Finally, add a user manual with the same name as the command with

a .txt extension and put it in the /manuals directory.



### 5.3 | Formatting



Algebra Solver conforms relatively strictly to [Python PEP8][1]

standards, with the exception of personal preference. The main

styles to adhere to are listed below:



* Multiple word variables and functions are separated with an

underscore (_), not camelCase

* All lines must be less than or equal to 80 characters long

(PEP8 specifies 79, but 80 makes more sense)

* Each word in a method name begins in a capital letter as in

`MethodName(self, args)`

* Docstrings and comments are used liberally

* **All intents must be 4 SPACES, not a tab width of 4**

* All lines of README and user manual files must be less than 50

characters in width



--------------------------------------------------------------



Thank you for using Algebra Solver!

Questions? Check out my contact info on samrapdev.com

Report a bug to: rapaport.sam7@gmail.com



Current version: 1.0



  [1]: http://legacy.python.org/dev/peps/pep-0008/