Does calc support scripts like GNU bc?

[ghost]

GNU bc allows you to use script files. README.md doesn't mention anything about script files. So it seems calc doesn't support this feature. Please correct me if I'm wrong.

[lcn2]

Hello @iahung2,

Calc comes a rich set of standard resource files, scripts that perform a wide variety of actions. See:

; help resource

for information about the many calc standard resource files shipped with calc.

You may find the source to standard resource files in the calc source tree under the cal/ subdirectory or the share directory if calc is installed (usually under /usr/local/share/calc or /usr/share/calc depending on your OS).

One may default your own functions in calc. See:

; help define

for how to define your own functions.

One may then put such defined functions into a file and use:

; read file.cal

(or whatever filename: ending the filename with ".cal" is just a convention) to implement your own resource files.

One may write shelll scripts that invoke calc, with the possibility of using your own resource files and/or the standard resource files. See:

; help script

for examples and see:

; help cscript

for shell script examples.

[lcn2]

Examples of scripts:

; read lucas
; lucas(1,23209)
... test if 1*2^23209-1 is prime .. return 1 if it is prime

; read lucas_chk
; lucas_chk(1000)
... test various primes of the form h*2^n-1 for n < 1000

; read pi
; piforever()
... print more and more digits of pi .. until you run out of memory or patience :)

etc.

All of the standard calc resource scripts are available for viewingtree under the cal/ source subdirectory (usually under /usr/local/share/calc or /usr/share/calc depending on your OS).

[lcn2]

A word of advice: while calc is "C-like" it is NOT C. Read the unexpected help file:

; help unexpected

For more help on help see:

; help help

And for those who prefer the "man" to "help", "man is an alias for "help":

; man man
; man overview

We hope this helps!