Creating a Scientific Calculator with HTML, CSS, and JavaScript

Creating a Scientific Calculator with HTML, CSS, and JavaScript

Scientific Calculator


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In this blog post, we will guide you through the process of creating a user-friendly scientific calculator using HTML, CSS, and JavaScript. A scientific calculator is a versatile tool capable of handling various mathematical functions and operations. Our calculator will feature a clean and intuitive interface, supporting basic arithmetic as well as trigonometric and advanced functions.


HTML Structure


The HTML structure defines the layout and elements of the calculator. We keep it simple, with an input field to display calculations and a grid of buttons for user input.


```html

<!DOCTYPE html>

<html>

<head>

  <title>Scientific Calculator</title>

  <!-- CSS styles go here -->

</head>

<body>

  <div class="calculator">

    <input type="text" id="display" readonly>

    <div class="button-container">

      <!-- Calculator buttons go here -->

    </div>

  </div>

  <!-- JavaScript code goes here -->

</body>

</html>

```


CSS Styling


CSS is employed to style the calculator, making it visually appealing and user-friendly. The `.calculator` class defines the overall appearance, specifying size, background color, border, and shadow. Input fields and buttons are styled for a clean interface.


```css

<style>

  .calculator {

    /* Calculator styling */

  }

  .calculator input[type="text"] {

    /* Input field styling */

  }

  .calculator .button-container {

    /* Button container styling */

  }

  .calculator input[type="button"] {

    /* Button styling */

  }

</style>

```


JavaScript Functionality


JavaScript provides the calculator's functionality. It includes functions for appending input to the display, removing the last character, clearing the display, and performing calculations. The `eval` function evaluates mathematical expressions entered by the user.


```javascript

<script>

  function appendToDisplay(value) {

    // Append input to the display

  }


  function removeLastElement() {

    // Remove the last character from the display

  }


  function clearDisplay() {

    // Clear the display

  }


  function calculate() {

    // Perform calculations and display the result

  }


  function toRadians(degrees) {

    // Convert degrees to radians

  }

</script>

```


 Buttons and User Interaction


Each button in the calculator has an `onclick` attribute that calls the corresponding JavaScript function. For example, clicking the "1" button appends "1" to the display, clicking the "C" button clears the display, and clicking the "equals" button performs the calculation.


```html

<input type="button" value="1" onclick="appendToDisplay('1')">

<input type="button" value="C" onclick="clearDisplay()">

<input type="button" value="equals" onclick="calculate()">

<!-- Other buttons go here -->

```


Advanced Mathematical Functions


To enhance the calculator's capabilities, we've added support for trigonometric functions such as sine, cosine, and tangent, along with square root and exponentiation. Regular expressions are used to transform user-friendly input into JavaScript calculations.


```javascript

input = input.replace(/sin\(([^)]+)\)/g, 'Math.sin(toRadians($1))');

input = input.replace(/cos\(([^)]+)\)/g, 'Math.cos(toRadians($1))');

input = input.replace(/tan\(([^)]+)\)/g, 'Math.tan(toRadians($1))');

input = input.replace(/sqrt\(([^)]+)\)/g, 'Math.sqrt($1)');

```


 Error Handling


The calculator includes error handling. If a user enters an invalid calculation, the code captures the error and displays an "Error" message on the calculator's display.


```javascript

try {

  // Perform calculations and display the result

} catch (error) {

  // Handle and display the error

}

```


Radians Conversion


Trigonometric functions in JavaScript work with radians, so we've included a function to convert degrees to radians.


```javascript

function toRadians(degrees) {

  return degrees * Math.PI / 180;

}

```


With this code, you can create a functional scientific calculator that allows users to perform various mathematical operations. You can expand this project by adding more functions and features, but this example serves as a great starting point for anyone looking to build their own calculator application.


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By following this guide, you can create a fully functional scientific calculator. You can further customize it to meet your specific requirements and add additional mathematical functions or features. Good luck with your calculator project!

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