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The problem I have with this type of app is that I am never sure what will work and what will not. It's "natural language" only after you learn which subset of

by jwr 7y ago

The problem I have with this type of app is that I am never sure what will work and what will not. It's "natural language" only after you learn which subset of language the app actually understands. I still can't find anything that beats my HP 50g (either physical or running in one of the emulators) for just about any kind of computation involving several pieces of data. For more data, a spreadsheet is really hard to beat.

pfranz 7y ago
I have similar concerns as you, but my current approach of copy/pasting from notepad (so I can label things) to a calculator is very prone to error or being outdated. I think the tight feedback loop in an app like this makes things discoverable and builds confidence in the output. edit: when I'm "deep in it" this is similar to what I use Excel/GDocs for, but they're heavier than I'd like for more casual use. I spend half the time I'm using a spreadsheet in Google looking at documentation for Excel functions.
filmgirlcw 7y ago
I mean, I use PCalc[1] all the time too, but I love Soulver b/c unlike Excel —- which is great but can be a lot —- it’s super easy to just jot stuff down and have it calculated, just like a spreadsheet. You’re not wrong on the syntax stuff, but as long as the math operations are there, it’ll do what you want. The special stuff for currency or other conversions isn’t very hard to get the hang of once you start using an app. Really, the frustrating thing is when I’m on a machine that’s not mine and I hit my Soulver system-wide shortcut and can’t open up my scratchpad. But that’s my problem. [1]: https://www.pcalc.com/ https://www.pcalc.com/
mNovak 7y ago
Yeah I agree. Instead of learning a new language subset, I just use what's already there. For me, the go-to for multi-line calculations is Octave. At that point I can annotate to my hearts desire, plus I've always preferred Octave plotting over spreadsheet functions. The ability to share your calculations nearly universally, though, is the major advantage of spreadsheets.
frereubu 7y ago
I know what you mean, but the grammar feels intuitive and the GUI is really clear, so it's pretty easy to extrapolate once you get a few things. For example, you want to calculate a price for three items at $425 in British pounds: $425 * 3 in £ Once you've got "in £" you know it's available anywhere. I use it a lot for unit conversion too: 3 inches in mm The other thing I use a lot is referencing other lines. So this will output £4: £10 + 2 line1 / 3
mstratman 7y ago
I've been using v2 for years, and unless 3 changed significantly, the syntax is truly minimal. More importantly it only is introduced where it makes sense, ie not forced. It's also very succinctly documented in a well organized help menu item. Eg "what % of 198 is 22" You can still calculate this the normal way, but this syntax sugar is natural enough and easier to remember. Or the other big example somebody already posted is currency conversion. "1 USD to GBP" Even if you don't use any of that, the ability to have a readable notebook, variables, and other features make it far better than a traditional calculator. I could never go back.

by jwr 7y ago

pfranz 7y ago

I have similar concerns as you, but my current approach of copy/pasting from notepad (so I can label things) to a calculator is very prone to error or being outdated. I think the tight feedback loop in an app like this makes things discoverable and builds confidence in the output. edit: when I'm "deep in it" this is similar to what I use Excel/GDocs for, but they're heavier than I'd like for more casual use. I spend half the time I'm using a spreadsheet in Google looking at documentation for Excel functions.

filmgirlcw 7y ago

I mean, I use PCalc[1] all the time too, but I love Soulver b/c unlike Excel —- which is great but can be a lot —- it’s super easy to just jot stuff down and have it calculated, just like a spreadsheet. You’re not wrong on the syntax stuff, but as long as the math operations are there, it’ll do what you want. The special stuff for currency or other conversions isn’t very hard to get the hang of once you start using an app. Really, the frustrating thing is when I’m on a machine that’s not mine and I hit my Soulver system-wide shortcut and can’t open up my scratchpad. But that’s my problem. [1]: https://www.pcalc.com/ https://www.pcalc.com/

mNovak 7y ago

Yeah I agree. Instead of learning a new language subset, I just use what's already there. For me, the go-to for multi-line calculations is Octave. At that point I can annotate to my hearts desire, plus I've always preferred Octave plotting over spreadsheet functions. The ability to share your calculations nearly universally, though, is the major advantage of spreadsheets.

frereubu 7y ago

I know what you mean, but the grammar feels intuitive and the GUI is really clear, so it's pretty easy to extrapolate once you get a few things. For example, you want to calculate a price for three items at $425 in British pounds: $425 * 3 in £ Once you've got "in £" you know it's available anywhere. I use it a lot for unit conversion too: 3 inches in mm The other thing I use a lot is referencing other lines. So this will output £4: £10 + 2 line1 / 3

mstratman 7y ago

I've been using v2 for years, and unless 3 changed significantly, the syntax is truly minimal. More importantly it only is introduced where it makes sense, ie not forced. It's also very succinctly documented in a well organized help menu item. Eg "what % of 198 is 22" You can still calculate this the normal way, but this syntax sugar is natural enough and easier to remember. Or the other big example somebody already posted is currency conversion. "1 USD to GBP" Even if you don't use any of that, the ability to have a readable notebook, variables, and other features make it far better than a traditional calculator. I could never go back.