1calc(1) General Commands Manual calc(1)
2
6 calc - arbitrary precision calculator
7
9 calc [-c] [-C] [-d]
10 [-D calc_debug[:resource_debug[:user_debug]]]
11 [-e] [-f filename] [-h] [-i] [-m mode] [-O]
12 [-p] [-q] [-s] [-u] [-v] [[--] calc_cmd ...]
13 #!/usr/bin/calc [optional_other_flags ...] -f
15
18 -c Continue reading command lines even after a scan/parse error has
19 caused the abandonment of a line. Note that this option only
20 deals with scanning and parsing of the calc language. It does
21 not deal with execution or run-time errors.
22 For example:
24 calc read many_errors.cal
26 will cause calc to abort on the first syntax error, whereas:
28 calc -c read many_errors.cal
30 will cause calc to try to process each line being read despite
32 the scan/parse errors that it encounters.
33 By default, calc startup resource files are silently ignored if
35 not found. This flag will report missing startup resource files
36 unless -d is also given.
37 -C Permit the execution of custom builtin functions. Without this
40 flag, calling the custom() builtin function will simply generate
41 an error.
42 Use of this flag may cause calc to execute functions that are
44 non-standard and that are not portable. Custom builtin func‐
45 tions are disabled by default for this reason.
46 -d Disable the printing of the opening title. The printing of re‐
49 source file debug and informational messages is also disabled as
50 if config("resource_debug", 0) had been executed.
51 For example:
53 calc "read qtime; qtime(2)"
55 will output something like:
57 qtime(utc_hr_offset) defined
59 It's nearly ten past six.
60 whereas:
62 calc -d "read qtime; qtime(2)"
64 will just print:
66 It's nearly ten past six.
68 This flag disables the reporting of missing calc startup re‐
70 source files.
71 This flag also disables the printing the leading tilde. For ex‐
74 ample:
75 calc 2/3
77 will print:
79 ~0.66666666666666666667
81 whereas:
84 calc -d 2/3
86 will just print:
88 0.66666666666666666667
90 -D calc_debug[:resource_debug[:user_debug]]
94 Force the initial value of config("calc_debug"), config("re‐
95 source_debug") and config("user_debug").
96 The : separated strings are interpreted as signed 32 bit inte‐
98 gers. After an optional leading sign a leading zero indicates
99 octal conversion, and a leading ``0x'' or ``0X'' hexadecimal
100 conversion. Otherwise, decimal conversion is assumed.
101 By default, calc_debug is 0, resource_debug is 3 and user_debug
103 is 0.
104 For more information use the following calc command:
106 help config
108 -e Ignore any environment variables on startup. The getenv()
111 builtin will still return values, however.
112 -f filename
115 This flag is normally only with calc shell scripts.
116 This flag is required when using calc in shell script mode. It
118 must be at the end of the initial #! line of the script, as in:
119 #!/usr/bin/calc [optional_other_flags ...] -f
121 the rest of the file will be processed in shell script mode.
123 A common flag to use, prior to the -f on the #! line is the -q
126 flag. For example:
127 #!/usr/bin/calc -q -f
129 This allows the script to run independently of startup scripts.
131 See SHELL SCRIPT MODE section of this man page below for de‐
134 tails.
135 While the actual form of this flag is:
137 -f filename
139 for systems that treat an executable that begins with #! as a
141 script, the path of the executable is appended by the kernel as
142 the final argument to the exec() system call. This is why the
143 -f flag at the very end of the #! line.
144 It is possible use -f filename on the command line:
146 calc [optional_other_flags ...] -f filename
148 This will cause calc to process lines in filename in shell
150 script mode.
151 The use of -f filename implies the -s flag.
154 -h Print a help message. This option implies -q. This is equiva‐
157 lent to the calc command help help. The help facility is dis‐
158 abled unless the mode is 5 or 7. See -m.
159 -i Become interactive if possible. This flag will cause calc to
162 drop into interactive mode after the calc_cmd arguments on the
163 command line are evaluated. Without this flag, calc will exit
164 after they are evaluated.
165 For example:
167 calc 2+5
169 will print the value 7 and exit whereas:
171 calc -i 2+5
173 will print the value 7 and prompt the user for more calc com‐
175 mands.
176 -m mode
179 This flag sets the permission mode of calc. It controls the
180 ability for calc to open files and execute programs. Mode may
181 be a number from 0 to 7.
182 The mode value is interpreted in a way similar to that of the
184 chmod(1) octal mode:
185 0 do not open any file, do not execute progs
187 1 do not open any file
188 2 do not open files for reading, do not execute progs
189 3 do not open files for reading
190 4 do not open files for writing, do not execute progs
191 5 do not open files for writing
192 6 do not execute any program
193 7 allow everything (default mode)
194 If one wished to run calc from a privileged user, one might want
196 to use -m 0 in an effort to make calc somewhat more secure.
197 Mode bits for reading and writing apply only on an open. Files
199 already open are not effected. Thus if one wanted to use the -m
200 0 in an effort to make calc somewhat more secure, but still
201 wanted to read and write a specific file, one might want to do
202 in sh(1), ksh(1), bash(1)-like shells:
203 calc -m 0 3<a.file
205 Files presented to calc in this way are opened in an unknown
207 mode. Calc will attempt to read or write them if directed.
208 If the mode disables opening of files for reading, then the
210 startup resource files are disabled as if -q was given. The
211 reading of key bindings is also disabled when the mode disables
212 opening of files for reading.
213 -O Use the old classic defaults instead of the default configura‐
216 tion. This flag as the same effect as executing config("all",
217 "oldcfg") at startup time.
218 NOTE: Older versions of calc used -n to setup a modified form of
220 the default calc configuration. The -n flag currently does
221 nothing. Use of the -n flag is now deprecated and may be used
222 for something else in the future.
223 -p Pipe processing is enabled by use of -p. For example:
226 calc -p "2^21701-1" | fizzbin
228 In pipe mode, calc does not prompt, does not print leading tabs
230 and does not print the initial header. The -p flag overrides
231 -i.
232 -q Disable the reading of the startup scripts.
235 -s By default, all calc_cmd args are evaluated and executed. This
238 flag will disable their evaluation and instead make them avail‐
239 able as strings for the argv() builtin function.
240 -u Disable buffering of stdin and stdout.
243 -v Print the calc version number and exit.
246 -- The double dash indicates to calc that no more option follow.
249 Thus calc will ignore a later argument on the command line even
250 if it starts with a dash. This is useful when entering negative
251 values on the command line as in:
252 calc -p -- -1 - -7
254
258 With no calc_cmd arguments, calc operates interactively. If one or
259 more arguments are given on the command line and -s is NOT given, then
260 calc will read and execute them and either attempt to go interactive
261 according as the -i flag was present or absent.
262 If -s is given, calc will not evaluate any calc_cmd arguments but in‐
264 stead make them available as strings to the argv() builtin function.
265 Sufficiently simple commands with no no characters like parentheses,
267 brackets, semicolons, '*', which have special interpretations in UNIX
268 shells may be entered, possibly with spaces, until the terminating new‐
269 line. For example:
270 calc 23 + 47
272 will print 70. However, command lines will have problems:
274 calc 23 * 47
276 calc -23 + 47
278 The first example above fails because the shell interprets the '*' as a
280 file glob. The second example fails because '-23' is viewed as a calc
281 option (which it is not) and do calc objects to that it thinks of as an
282 unknown option. These cases can usually be made to work as expected by
283 enclosing the command between quotes:
284 calc '23 * 47'
286 calc "print sqrt(2), exp(1)"
288 or in parentheses and quotes to avoid leading -'s as in:
290 calc '(-23 + 47)'
292 One may also use a double dash to denote that calc options have ended
294 as in:
295 calc -- -23 + 47
297 calc -q -- -23 + 47
299 If '!' is to be used to indicate the factorial function, for shells
301 like csh[4m(1) for which '!' followed by a non-space character is used for
302 history substitution, it may be necessary to include a space or use a
303 backslash to escape the special meaning of '!'. For example, the com‐
304 mand:
305 print 27!^2
307 may have to be replaced by:
309 print 27! ^2 or print 27^2
311 Reading from standard input when calc is part of a pipe works as long
313 as the -p flag is given to calc. For example, this will print chongo
314 was here:
315 echo chongo was here | calc -p 'print fgetline(files(0));'
317 while this does not:
320 echo chongo was here | calc 'print fgetline(files(0));'
322 nor will this print chongo was here:
325 echo chongo was here | calc -i 'print fgetline(files(0));'
327 This is because without -p, the interactive parser, in an effort to
330 parse interactive commands, flushes data on standard input.
331
334 Normally on startup, if the environment variable $CALCRC is undefined
335 and calc is invoked without the -q flag, or if $CALCRC is defined and
336 calc is invoked with -e, calc looks for a file "startup" in the calc
337 resource directory .calcrc in the user's home directory, and .calcinit
338 in the current directory. If one or more of these are found, they are
339 read in succession as calc scripts and their commands executed. When
340 defined, $CALCRC is to contain a ':' separated list of names of files,
341 and if calc is then invoked without either the -q or -e flags, these
342 files are read in succession and their commands executed. No error
343 condition is produced if a listed file is not found.
344 If the mode specified by -m disables opening of files for reading, then
346 the reading of startup files is also disabled as if -q was given.
347
350 If the environment variable $CALCPATH is undefined, or if it is defined
351 and calc is invoked with the -e flag, when a file name not beginning
352 with /, ~ or ./, is specified as in:
353 calc read myfile
355 calc searches in succession:
357 ./myfile
359 ./myfile.cal
360 /usr/lib64/myfile
361 /usr/lib64/myfile.cal
362 /usr/share/calc/custom/myfile
363 /usr/share/calc/custom/myfile.cal
364 If the file is found, the search stops and the commands in the file are
366 executed. It is an error if no readable file with the specified name
367 is found. An alternative search path can be specified by defining
368 $CALCPATH in the same way as PATH is defined, as a ':' separated list
369 of directories, and then invoking calc without the -e flag.
370 Calc treats all open files, other than stdin, stdout and stderr as
372 files available for reading and writing. One may present calc with an
373 already open file using sh(1), ksh(1), bash(1)-like shells is to:
374 calc 3<open_file 4<open_file2
376 For more information use the following calc commands:
378 help help
380 help overview
381 help usage
382 help environment
383 help config
384
388 If the first line of an executable file begins #! followed by the ab‐
389 solute pathname of the calc program and the first line ends with the
390 flag -f as in:
391 #!/usr/bin/calc [optional_other_flags ...] -f
393 the rest of the file will be processed in shell script mode. Note that
395 -s -f must at the end of the initial ``#!'' line. Any other optional
396 optional_other_flags must come before the -f flag.
397 In shell script mode the contents of the file are read and executed as
399 if they were in a file being processed by a read command, except that a
400 "command" beginning with '#' followed by whitespace and ending at the
401 next newline is treated as a comment. Any optional op‐
402 tional_other_flags will be parsed first followed by the later lines
403 within the script itself.
404 In shell script mode, -s is always assumed. In addition, -d and -p are
406 automatically set if -i is not given.
407 For example, if the file /tmp/mersenne:
409 #!/usr/bin/calc -q -f
411 /* setup */
413 argc = argv();
414 program = argv(0);
415 stderr = files(2);
416 /* parse args */
418 if (argc != 2) {
419 fprintf(stderr, "usage: %s exp0, program);
420 abort "must give one exponent arg";
421 }
422 exp = eval(argv(1));
423 if (!isint(exp) || exp < 0) {
424 fprintf(stderr, "%s: exp must be non-negative integer0, program);
425 abort "must give one exponent arg";
426 }
427 /* print the mersenne number */
429 print "2^": exp : "-1 =", 2^exp-1;
430 is made an executable file by:
432 chmod +x /tmp/mersenne
434 then the command line:
436 /tmp/mersenne 127
438 will print:
440 2^127-1 = 170141183460469231731687303715884105727
442 Note that because -s is required in shell script mode non-dashed args
444 are made available as strings via the argv() builtin function. There‐
445 fore:
446 2^eval(argv(1))-1
448 will print the decimal value of 2^n-1 whereas
450 2^argv(1)-1
452 will not.
454
457 Fundamental builtin data types include integers, real numbers, rational
458 numbers, complex numbers and strings.
459 By use of an object, one may define an arbitrarily complex data types.
461 One may define how such objects behave a wide range of operations such
462 as addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, negation, squaring,
463 modulus, rounding, exponentiation, equality, comparison, printing and
464 so on.
465 For more information use the following calc commands:
467 help types
469 help obj
470 show objfuncs
471
474 Variables in calc are typeless. In other words, the fundamental type
475 of a variable is determined by its content. Before a variable is as‐
476 signed a value it has the value of zero.
477 The scope of a variable may be global, local to a file, or local to a
479 procedure. Values may be grouped together in a matrix, or into a a
480 list that permits stack and queue style operations.
481 For more information use the following calc commands:
483 help variable
485 help mat
486 help list
487 show globals
488
491 A leading ``0x'' implies a hexadecimal value, a leading ``0b'' implies
492 a binary value, and a ``0'' followed by a digit implies an octal value.
493 Complex numbers are indicated by a trailing ``i'' such as in ``3+4i''.
494 Strings may be delimited by either a pair of single or double quotes.
495 By default, calc prints values as if they were floating point numbers.
496 One may change the default to print values in a number of modes includ‐
497 ing fractions, integers and exponentials.
498 A number of stdio-like file I/O operations are provided. One may open,
500 read, write, seek and close files. Filenames are subject to `` '' ex‐
501 pansion to home directories in a way similar to that of the Korn or C-
502 Shell.
503 For example:
505 ~/.calcrc
507 ~chongo/lib/fft_multiply.cal
508 For more information use the following calc command:
510 help file
512
515 The calc language is a C-like language. The language includes commands
516 such as variable declarations, expressions, tests, labels, loops, file
517 operations, function calls. These commands are very similar to their
518 counterparts in C.
519 The language also include a number of commands particular to calc it‐
521 self. These include commands such as function definition, help, read‐
522 ing in resource files, dump files to a file, error notification, con‐
523 figuration control and status.
524 For more information use the following calc command:
526 help command
528 help statement
529 help expression
530 help operator
531 help config
532
535 /usr/bin/calc
536 calc binary
537 /usr/bin/cscript/*
539 calc shell scripts
540 /usr/lib64/*.cal
542 calc standard resource files
543 /usr/lib64/help/*
545 help files
546 /usr/lib64/bindings
548 non-GNU-readline command line editor bindings
549 /usr/include/calc/*.h
551 include files for C interface use
552 /usr/lib64/libcalc.a
554 calc binary link library
555 /usr/lib64/libcustcalc.a
557 custom binary link library
558 /usr/share/calc/custom/*.cal
560 custom resource files
561 /usr/share/calc/custhelp/*
563 custom help files
564
567 CALCPATH
568 A :-separated list of directories used to search for calc resource
569 filenames that do not begin with /, ./ or ~.
570 Default value: .:./cal:~/.cal:/usr/share/calc
572 CALCRC
574 On startup (unless -h or -q was given on the command line), calc
575 searches for files along this :-separated environment variable.
576 Default value: ./.calcinit:~/.calcrc:/usr/share/calc/startup
578 CALCBINDINGS
580 On startup (unless -h or -q was given on the command line, or -m
581 disallows opening files for reading), calc reads key bindings from
582 the filename specified by this environment variable. The key
583 binding file is searched for along the $CALCPATH list of directo‐
584 ries.
585 Default value: binding
587 This variable is not used if calc was compiled with GNU-readline
589 support. In that case, the standard readline mechanisms (see
590 readline(3)) are used.
591 CALCHISTFILE
593 Location of the calc history file.
594 Default value: ~/.calc_history
596 This variable is not used if calc was compiled with GNU-readline
598 support.
599 CALCHELP
601 Location of the calc help directory.
602 Default value: /usr/share/calc/help
604 CALCCUSTOMHELP
606 Location of the calc custom help directory.
607 Default value: /usr/share/calc/custhelp
609
612 The main chunk of calc was written by David I. Bell.
613 The calc primary mirror, and calc bug report processing is performed by
615 Landon Curt Noll.
616 Landon Curt Noll maintains the master reference source, performs re‐
618 lease control functions as well as other calc maintenance functions.
619 Thanks for suggestions and encouragement from Peter Miller, Neil Jus‐
621 tusson, and Landon Noll.
622 Thanks to Stephen Rothwell for writing the original version of hist.c
624 which is used to do the command line editing.
625 Thanks to Ernest W. Bowen for supplying many improvements in accuracy
627 and generality for some numeric functions. Much of this was in terms
628 of actual code which I gratefully accepted. Ernest also supplied the
629 original text for many of the help files.
630 Portions of this program are derived from an earlier set of public do‐
632 main arbitrarily precision routines which was posted to the net around
633 1984. By now, there is almost no recognizable code left from that
634 original source.
635
637 Calc is open software, and is covered under version 2 of the GNU Gen‐
638 eral Public License. You are welcome to change it and/or distribute
639 copies of it under certain conditions. The calc commands:
640 help copyright
642 help copying
643 help copying-gpl
644 should display the contents of the COPYING and COPYING-GPL files.
646 Those files contain information about the calc's GNU General Public Li‐
647 cense, and in particular the conditions under which you are allowed to
648 change it and/or distribute copies of it.
649 You should have received a copy of the version 2 of the GNU General
651 Public License. If you do not have these files, write to:
652 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
654 51 Franklin Street
655 Fifth Floor
656 Boston, MA 02110-1301
657 USA
658 Calc is copyrighted in several different ways. These ways include:
660 Copyright (C) year David I. Bell
662 Copyright (C) year David I. Bell and Landon Curt Noll
663 Copyright (C) year David I. Bell and Ernest Bowen
664 Copyright (C) year David I. Bell, Landon Curt Noll and Ernest Bowen
665 Copyright (C) year Landon Curt Noll
666 Copyright (C) year Ernest Bowen and Landon Curt Noll
667 Copyright (C) year Ernest Bowen
668 This man page is:
670 Copyright (C) 1999-2021 Landon Curt Noll
672 and is covered under version 2 GNU General Public License.
674
676 If you have a simple general question about calc, send Email to:
677 calc-quest-mail at asthe dot com
679 NOTE: Remove spaces and replace 'at' with @, and 'dot' with .
681 NOTE: Yes, the Email address uses 'asthe', while the web site uses
683 'isthe'.
684 PLEASE put following the SPECIAL PHRASE somewhere in your Email Subject
686 line:
687 calc question
689 You may add additional words to your subject line.
691 IMPORTANT: If your Email doesn't contain the above phrase, then we WILL
693 NOT SEE your Email.
694 PLEASE BE SURE you have that SPECIAL PHRASE somewhere in the subject
696 line!
697 Suggestion:
699 From time to time, the Email address and Subject SPECIAL PHRASE
701 may change so verify you have the current info by visiting:
702 http://www.isthe.com/chongo/tech/comp/calc/calc-question.html
704 Please limit your questions to general questions about calc. We cannot
706 go into great detail in our answers, nor can we do your homework, nor
707 can we do much more than answer short general questions about calc.
708 Please be patient as we cannot always respond to Email messages
710 quickly.
711
713 Send bug reports and bug fixes to:
714 calc-bugrept at asthe dot com
716 NOTE: Remove spaces and replace 'at' with @, 'dot' with .
718 NOTE: Yes, the Email address uses 'asthe', while the web site uses
720 'isthe'.
721 You MUST use following SPECIAL PHRASE in your Email Subject line:
723 calc bug report
725 You may add additional words to your subject line.
727 Suggestion:
729 From time to time, the Email address and Subject SPECIAL PHRASE
731 may change so verify you have the current info by visiting:
732 http://www.isthe.com/chongo/tech/comp/calc/calc-bugrept.html
734 IMPORTANT: If your Email doesn't contain the above phrase, then we WILL
736 NOT SEE your Email.
737 PLEASE BE SURE you have that SPECIAL PHRASE somewhere in the subject
739 line!
740 See the BUGS source file or use the calc command:
742 help bugs
744 for more information about bug reporting.
746 Please be patient as we cannot always respond to Email messages
748 quickly.
749
751 Calc is open source. Contributions of code are welcome.
752 We welcome and encourage you to send us:
754 * calc resource files (cal/*.cal)
757 * calc shell scripts (cscript/*.calc)
758 * builtin functions that you have modified or written, i.e.:
759 assocfunc.c comfunc.c func.c func.h
760 listfunc.c matfunc.c qfunc.c zfunc.c
761 * custom functions that you have modified or written (custom/*)
762 * help files modified or written (help/*)
763 * brief description of you added, fixed, improved in CHANGES
764 * regression test cases (cal/regress.cal)
765 * Makefile improvements (Makefile, */Makefile)
766 * other source code modifications (*.c, *.h)
767 * etc. (* */* :) )
768 If you add functionality to calc, please be sure to modify/patch/add
770 Makefiles, help files, cal/regress.cal test code as well. Regression
771 test cases are vital to maintaining calc's level of correctness and
772 helps us avoid code bug regression.
773 In order to consider integrating your code, we need:
775 * calc version you are working with (please try use the latest version)
777 * new help files or help file patches, if applicable (documentation)
778 * proposed text for the CHANGES file (brief description of what it does)
779 * regress.cal test patch as needed
780 * your source code and/or source code changes (:-))
781 The best way to send us new code, if your changes are small, is via a
783 patch (diff -c from the latest alpha code to your code). If your
784 change is large, you should send entire files (either as a diff -c
785 /dev/null your-file patch, or as a uuencoded and gziped (or compressed)
786 tar file).
787 Please try to generate a patch against the most recent version of calc,
789 and if you use GitHub, the top of the master branch:
790 https://github.com/lcn2/calc
792 The best way contribute to calc bug is to generate calc GitHub pull re‐
795 quest:
796 https://github.com/lcn2/calc/pulls
798 Your code needs to be contributed under either the 2.1 of the GNU Gen‐
800 eral Public License (LGPL 2.1) or be in the public domain.
801 If you do not want to use calc GitHub, then send Email to:
803 calc-contrib at asthe dot com
805 NOTE: Remove spaces and replace 'at' with @, 'dot' with .
807 NOTE: Yes, the Email address uses 'asthe', while the web site uses
809 'isthe'.
810 You MUST use following SPECIAL PHRASE in your Email Subject line:
812 calc contribution
814 You may add additional words to your subject line.
816 Suggestion:
818 From time to time, the Email address and Subject SPECIAL PHRASE
820 may change so verify you have the current info by visiting:
821 http://www.isthe.com/chongo/tech/comp/calc/calc-contrib.html
823 IMPORTANT: If your Email doesn't contain the above phrase, then we WILL
825 NOT SEE your Email.
826 PLEASE BE SURE you have that SPECIAL PHRASE somewhere in the subject
828 line!
829 Please be patient as we cannot always respond to Email messages
831 quickly.
832
834 Landon Noll maintains the calc web site is located at:
835 www.isthe.com/chongo/tech/comp/calc/
837 Share and Enjoy! :-)
839Share and enjoy! :-) ^..^ calc(1)