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.