Crafting a Simple Calculator Program in Python

Crafting a Simple Calculator Program in Python

Introduction:
With its simplicity and readability, Python is an excellent language for beginners to start their programming journey. One of the first projects often tackled by aspiring Python programmers is creating a simple calculator program. In this tutorial, we'll walk through the steps to create a basic calculator in Python, covering addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division operations.

Getting Started:
Before diving into the code, make sure you have Python installed on your system. You can download and install Python from the official website (https://www.python.org/) if you haven't already.

Creating the Calculator Program:
Let's start by opening your favorite text editor or integrated development environment (IDE) to write our Python code. Follow along as we create the calculator program step by step:

# Define a function for addition operation
def add(x, y):
    return x + y

# Define a function for subtraction operation
def subtract(x, y):
    return x - y

# Define a function for a multiplication operation
def multiply(x, y):
    return x * y

# Define a function for division operation
def divide(x, y):
    if y == 0:
        return "Error! Division by zero."
    else:
        return x / y

# Main function to execute the calculator program
def main():
    print("Welcome to Simple Calculator")
    print("1. Addition")
    print("2. Subtraction")
    print("3. Multiplication")
    print("4. Division")

    # Take input from the user
    choice = input("Enter choice (1/2/3/4): ")

    num1 = float(input("Enter first number: "))
    num2 = float(input("Enter second number: "))

    if choice == '1':
        print("Result:", add(num1, num2))
    elif choice == '2':
        print("Result:", subtract(num1, num2))
    elif choice == '3':
        print("Result:", multiply(num1, num2))
    elif choice == '4':
        print("Result:", divide(num1, num2))
    else:
        print("Invalid input")

# Call the main function to run the program
if __name__ == "__main__":
    main()

Understanding the Code:
  • We define four functions for addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division operations.
  • The `main()` function serves as the entry point of our program, displaying a menu of operations for the user to choose from.
  • Based on the user's choice, the program prompts the user to enter two numbers and performs the selected operation.
Running the Program:
Save the code in a file with a `.py` extension, such as `calculator.py`. Open a terminal or command prompt, navigate to the file's directory, and execute the program by typing `python calculator.py`.

Conclusion:
Congratulations! You've just created a simple calculator program in Python. This project is a great way to practice fundamental Python concepts such as functions, user input, and conditional statements.

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