Knowledge Base Article

## Using the Calculator Editor Design Tab

### Calculator Editor Design Tab

In the Calculator Editor, go to the Design Tab. The Design tab has three                 Calculator Editor Main Window  main sections: left, center and right. The left panel is used to add and modify buttons and tabs to your calculator. The center shows your calculator’s layout (don’t worry that it begins with one lonely button.)  The right section contains the list of equations and constants that you’ll be able to drag and drop onto your calculator buttons.

#### Left Section (Button and Tab Attributes)

The left section of the Design Tab lets you create and modify tabs and buttons.

##### Tabs (Logical Grouping of Buttons)

Tabs are simply groupings of buttons and can be used to help organize the functions of your calculator.  Tabs can have their own Label to help communicate the reason for the tab (e.g. “Planter Volume Equations”). Most calculators just have one main tab (which is the default). However, if you find that one tab has grown to have too many buttons, you can duplicate the tab and remove buttons from both tabs to a more manageable set of buttons in each tab.

##### Buttons (Calculator Functions and Constants)

The buttons for your calculator will automatically launch the equations you choose or display the value of the constants you choose.  The buttons in your calculator are laid out in rows and columns.  You can set the number of rows and columns of buttons in the left section. There are also additional features (e.g. button labels and tool tips) for more advanced users.

When you've made an update to the attributes of a Tab or Button, you must press the Update button for the update to occur, and vCalc will show the results in the Center Section.

#### Center Section (Button Layout and Assignments)

The Center Section is where Drag equations from the list (right) on top of your buttons.you can assign equations and constants to buttons in your calculator from the vCalc library.  These can be equations and constants that you have created (e.g. My Equations), ones that have been shared with you by other individuals (e.g. Shared Constants), or from vCalc’s growing public library of Equations and Constants.
To assign an equation or constant to a button in the CENTER SECTION, find it in on one of the lists one the RIGHT SECTION (Equations and Constants), and then click and drag it from the list onto the button you wish.  When you grab an equation or constant and start to drag it toward a button, you will note a red X that will turn to a green check when the equation is over the button. At that point, release the button and the equation or constant will be assigned to that button. If the button has been previously assigned, the former assignment will be replaced with the new equation or constant. Repeat this process until you put a constant or equation on every button, and then hit SAVE. You can hit APPLY along the way to save and keep working.

You can also move buttons within the Center Section to rearrange your calculator.  WARNING: when you move a button to a new location, it replaces the former content (button) at that location.Equation & Constant Library

#### Right Section (Library of Equations and Constants)

The Right Section of the Calculator Editor contains the listing of equations and constants available to you for your calculator.  Even basic calculators employ both equations (e.g. sine and cosine) and constants (e.g. pi).  vCalc lets you build the calculator you wish with the buttons you choose. These equations and constants can come from vCalc's library of thousands of equations and constants, or they can come from your own private list. In this way, your calculator can employ the functions and numbers that are most useful to you. Note: if you use private equations or constants in your calculator, you will be prevented from making your calculator "public". In which case, you will have to make the private equations or constants available to the public first, and then you will be able to to make any calculator using them also to be public.

When you save a calculator from within the Calculator Editor, you now have a working calculator on the wiki with all the buttons you have chosen.