📘 Davina's Calculator — Layperson Explanation¶
This notebook explains the code behind
Davina's Calculator, written in Python.
The calculator allows you to input two numbers, pick an
arithmetic operation, and get a result.
💡 What does the code do?¶
Let’s break it down step by step:
1️⃣ Import all calculator functions¶
from calculator import *
✅ This line brings in all the
calculation functions (like add,
subtract, multiply) from another file
called calculator.py so we can use them here.
2️⃣ Print a welcome message¶
print("== Welcome to Davina's Calculator ==")
✅ Displays a friendly message so the user knows they’ve opened the calculator program.
3️⃣ Get two numbers from the user¶
x = float(input("Please give a number (decimals and negative numbers are allowed):"))
y = float(input("Please give another number (decimals and negative numbers are allowed):"))
✅ Asks the user to type in two numbers, which can include decimals (like 3.5) or negatives (like -2).
✅ Converts the typed input into floating-point numbers (numbers with decimals).
4️⃣ Show the list of available operations¶
print("Here are the available arithmetic operators:")
for op_symbol, op_info in operators.items():
name = op_info["name"]
description = op_info["description"]
print(f"\t'{op_symbol}' - {name}: {description}")
✅ Goes through a dictionary called operators that
lists:
-
The symbol (like
+or*) - The name (like "Add" or "Multiply")
- A short description (explaining what it does)
✅ Prints this neatly so the user can see all the choices.
5️⃣ Ask the user to choose an operation¶
operator = input("Choose one:")
✅ Waits for the user to type in an
operator symbol (like +,
-, *, /, etc.).
6️⃣ Calculate and display the result¶
print(calculator(x, y, operator))
✅ Calls the calculator() function (defined
elsewhere) to:
- Perform the selected calculation (like adding, subtracting, dividing)
- Generate a message with the result
✅ Prints the final answer for the user.
🎯 Summary for Non-Coders¶
In short, this program: ✅ Greets you ✅ Asks for two numbers ✅ Shows you math options ✅ Lets you pick one ✅ Gives you the answer
All automatically — like a simple text-based calculator!
from calculator import *
print("== Welcome to Davina's Calculator ==")
x = float(input("Please give a number (decimals and negative numbers are allowed):"))
y = float(input("Please give another number (decimals and negative numbers are allowed):"))
print("Here are the available arithmetic operators:")
for op_symbol, op_info in operators.items():
name = op_info["name"]
description = op_info["description"]
print(f"\t'{op_symbol}' - {name}: {description}")
operator = input("Choose one:")
print(calculator(x, y, operator))
== Welcome to Davina's Calculator ==
Here are the available arithmetic operators: '+' - Add: Add things together '-' - Subtract: Take one thing away from another '*' - Multiply: Multiply (like repeated addition) '/' - Divide: Divide (split into equal parts) '//' - Floor Division: Divide and drop the decimals (only whole number part) '%' - Modulus: Get what’s left over after dividing (the remainder) '**' - Exponentiation: Raise a number to a power (like 2 to the power of 3)
The remainder of 5.5 divided by 3.3 is 2.2.