Purchased CalcNote Pro - question

[DanMCallaghan]

I purchased CalcNote Pro today (Friday, June 28). Can I uninstall the original version of CalcNote or must I retain both versions on my smartphone in order to use the Pro version?

Thanks, Dan

[burton999dev]

Thank you for your purchase of CalcNote Pro and for reaching out with your question. I'm happy to clarify this for you. CalcNote and CalcNote Pro are completely separate applications, so you can safely uninstall the original (free) version of CalcNote without affecting your Pro version. When you first launch CalcNote Pro, it automatically detects if the free version of CalcNote is installed on your device. If it is, Pro will import all your files and settings from the free version. Once this migration process is complete, the free version of CalcNote becomes redundant. However, I would like to bring one important point to your attention: CalcNote and CalcNote Pro use identical launcher icons. To avoid accidentally deleting the Pro version you just purchased, please be extra careful when uninstalling the free version. Double-check that you're removing the correct app. Here's a step-by-step process you might find helpful:

1. Launch CalcNote Pro to ensure all your data has been successfully migrated.
2. Verify that everything is working correctly in the Pro version.
3. Only then proceed to uninstall the free version of CalcNote.

Best regards,

[DanMCallaghan]

Thank you for your fast response. I have left the original version of CalcNote installed for now. I think I might have found a couple of bugs with the Pro version that may need investigation.

First off please let me clarify that I did make a few changes in the app settings of the original version (many weeks prior, not recently). This has bearing on the possible first bug and mayve also the second bug that I may have found. In Application Settings -> Calculation Settings -> Customize the grammar -> Line reference -> (is set to) # Number sign (not set to) $ Dollar sign.

Upon opening a previously saved CalcNote file in the Pro version, I noted that some monetary (currency) values from the Editor Area (left column) were incorrectly displayed in the Results Area (right column). The reason I chose to make the above referenced settings change was because in my file I wanted to differentiate (in the Editor Area) between monetary (currency) values and standardized number values (general display numbers).

As an example let's take the value of "$40.69" (no quotation marks) in the Editor Area (left column) with a resulting bizarre multi-million number in the Result Area (right column). This happened with virtually every monetary value ($ in front of the number value) that was not a comment line.

I didn't even remember the changes I made previously in the CalcNote Settings, but I did think this was potentially related to a settings issue. So I exported the Settings from the original version of the app and imported them into the Pro version. That fixed this issue, but I have no idea why the Pro version failed upon launching to properly import the Settings from the original version as you noted it should do in your previous response.

On to issue number two, and this is even stranger, although it may be related. A number of monetary values in the Editor Area (not comments), examples "$100" and "$50", were changed to "$102" and "$52". In other words, the monetary value in the Editor Area was increased by $2. I would never think it possible for CalcNote or CalcNote Pro to change any data, automatically, for whatever reason, in the Editor Area, from one opening session (or app version) to another, but that's exactly what occurred.

I resolved this issue by manually correcting all the incorrect/modified monetary (currency) values in the Editor Area. No standard numbers (general display numbers) in the Editor Area were likewise affected.

I just wanted to make you aware of these potential issues. I'm uncertain where else in the CalcNote Settings that use of the $ Dollar sign symbol may be referenced. I know it's supposed to be a reserved character but I thought if no settings actually used it, it would then be safe to use in the Editor Area as a simple display character used to denote monetary (currency) values.

Again, thank you for a wonderful product, and your support.

FYI, I have attached image files with the pertinent information such as smartphone model, Android software version, app version, etc, in case you need it. All personal information has been removed for privacy.

Sincerely, Dan

PS, I did determine the easiest way to differentiate between the two CalcNote versions. Click on the app icon -> select App Info -≥ then select to View in Play Store, which clearly shows standard version vs Pro.

[burton999dev]

Dear Dan,

Thank you for your detailed report. I believe I've identified the cause of the issue you've experienced. Let me explain:

By default, the $ symbol is used for line references in CalcNote. When the line number being referenced changes, CalcNote automatically updates the reference to follow suit (similar to how Excel behaves).

For example, let's consider the following input (assuming $ is set as the symbol for line references):

Line 1 is empty, line 2 contains 500, and line 3 references line 2:

1| 
2| 500
3| $2

If you were to insert a new line at the beginning, CalcNote would detect that the 500 has moved from line 2 to line 3, and automatically update the reference from $2 to $3. The result would be:

1| 
2| 
3| 500
4| $3

Based on your description, I suspect that while $ was set as the line reference symbol, you may have inadvertently inserted two new lines at some point. This would explain why some of your monetary values appeared to increase by $2.

Does this scenario align with any actions you might have taken? If so, it would explain the unexpected behavior you observed.

Thank you again for your detailed feedback and for using CalcNote.

[DanMCallaghan]

Ah, yes, I see what you're saying. That puts to rest issue two since the Pro app was clearly still using the default settings when I opened the file, so it thought $100 and $50 were line references. However that doesn't explain why the Pro version (which initially opened with a new blank file) didn't pickup/import my previous settings from the basic CalcNote app before I selected to open the previously existing file.

Is a manual export / manual import required in Pro, before using Pro to open previously existing files? If so I'd urge you to somehow put that in the initial Pro launch instructions. For example have Pro initially open a file bundled with it that has clear instructions admonishing new Pro users to export their settings from basic CalcNote, then import them into Pro, before opening any previously existing files.

That should prevent issues like I encountered. On the whole it didn't truly cost me too much time to satisfactorily resolve both issues on my own, since I was able to quickly identify the problems - although it potentially could have, since my existing file in question has 730 lines. LOL

[burton999dev]

Dear Dan,

Thank you so much for your detailed follow-up. Your feedback has been invaluable, and I owe you a sincere apology along with an explanation.

After thoroughly investigating the issue you reported, I've discovered a significant oversight in the code. The process for migrating grammar settings from the free version to Pro was inadvertently omitted. This is clearly a bug.

I want to express my deepest apologies for any inconvenience or confusion this may have caused you. Your meticulous approach to identifying and reporting this issue is truly appreciated. It's users like you who help make CalcNote better for everyone.

While fixing this bug won't directly benefit you since you've already completed the migration to Pro, I want you to know that your report will have a positive impact on future users. Thanks to your feedback, I'll be implementing a fix that will ensure a smoother transition for users upgrading from the free version to Pro in the future.

Once again, thank you for your patience, understanding, and for taking the time to provide such detailed feedback. Your contribution to improving CalcNote is truly appreciated.

Best regards,

[DanMCallaghan]

LOL, you're most welcome, and it truly wasn't a big inconvenience for me, not at all. In my previous work I spent many hundreds, even thousands of hours tailoring Excel and Libre Office spreadsheets for chief executive types, among countless other technical services like server administration, web design and coding, technical writing, even working in high end customer smartphone support (for Verizon Wireless). Sort of a Jack of All Trades type.

I've sort of taken early retirement in order to go back to my true passion which is ranching. I live now days on a great cattle/sheep/goat/chicken ranch in rural Texas. So glad to get far, far away from the hectic urban life of the DFW Metroplex and just go back to my roots instead.

I had been searching for, some time, for an alternative to Excel, Libre Office, and Google Docs/Sheets (for mobile devices) when I came across your product as an recommended substitute. Those much more established, powerful software products are excellent if you're using an established laptop or desktop computer, but their Android app versions leave much to be desired and are often horribly disappointing in comparison to the Windows versions of their products. Just trying to format cells, rows, or columns (on a smartphone or tablet) leaves you wanting to pull your hair out in frustration!

Yes, CalcNote may not be as sophisticated or powerful as those other products, but in its own right it is indeed a robust app even in its simplicity (by comparison), in fact especially in that. What's more, since CalcNote's native design "appears to be" for the mobile device market, you seldom end up pulling you're hair out in frustration, which for me is a tremendous relief!

I needed a basic, easy to use product, in order to design a file/spreadsheet for a family member that would allow them to track their new hobby/love of financial investing (they just started this past week), while simultaneously tracking multiple bank accounts, credit card accounts, and even anticipate basic budgeting issues. All the things a young individual really needs to grasp well in order to succeed in today's world.

A world btw where millennials and Gen Z ppl often can't afford housing. Where just vehicle care, vehicle fuel, and day to day grocery shopping often becomes a balancing act in simply determining whether to prioritize healthcare, childcare, elder care, food, housing, etc - even entertainment and pets which are luxuries these days.

Sorry, got off topic on to one of my many "soap box" issues. Back to CalcNote and CalcNote Pro. Despite not being as robust as something like Excel, I truly have enjoyed learning to use your excellent product. I'm most definitely still a novice/beginner when it comes to CalcNote!

I didn't discover any app functions listed in the convenient online help documentation that would assist me in coding formulas to handle Julian/Gregorian date calculations, which are essential functions in tracking something like financial investment performance. So instead I went back to basics to write code from scratch (if you discount the use of other ppl's helpful tips on the subject that are readily available online, LOL).

I'll share my code (also partially other ppl's code - must give credit where credit's due) at the end of this reply/comment, for anyone who's interested. Pls let me know anything I've missed or where anyone thinks the code can be easily improved?

For homemade functions CalcNote's ability to define variables is the star of the show. What I'd truly be interested in and extremely grateful for is if someone can demonstrate to me how to simulate an Excel "if then" function equivalent in CalcNote.

I'm also having problems understanding if there are true operational (Operator) Excel equivalents in CalcNote for a "logical OR" and "logical AND". I read the help documentation on | (OR?), & (AND?), ~ (NOT?), << (less than?), and >> (greater than?) - but from the documentation these don't appear to operate in the same way as they do in the majority of spreadsheet products.

For that matter I do understand that, technically speaking, CalcNote isn't a spreadsheet app but rather a hybridized calculator/notepad product (as the name implies), but that's not going to stop me from trying to use it similarly to a spreadsheet app, if and when I'm able to.

Is there any way to simulate an Excel if then function, and if so whether or not those can be 'nested' as in: if ((A AND B) OR (C<>B OR A<=C) then if ((B=21) AND not(abs(D)) then (A=D*B)))

That's a ridiculous and poor example, but I think you can get the idea.

Thank you so much, again, for taking your time to help and for developing a truly fine app.

By the way, you know my name, Dan. Is it possible to get yours? Haha, I keep wanting to think of you as "Tim Burton" but I know that can't be correct, LOL.

Dan

Sincerely, keep in mind that I'm a CalcNote novice! Here's my Julian/Gregorian date difference coding, as promised, and pls leave suggestions for improvements:

===== Code begins below this line =====

!!1) Express the date as Y M D, where Y is the year, M is the month number (Jan = 1, Feb = 2, etc.), and D is the day in the month. !!2) If the month is January or February, subtract 1 from the year to get a new Y, and add 12 to the month to get a new M. (Thus, we are thinking of January and February as being the 13th and 14th month of the previous year). !!3) Dropping the fractional part of all results of all multiplications and divisions. !! Y = Year !! M = Month !! D = Day !! A = Y/100 !! B = A/4 !! C = 2-A+B !! E = 365.25x(Y+4716) !! F = 30.6001x(M+1) !! JD= C+D+E+F-1524.5 !!The above listed information was supplied freely online via UT Texas at Austin University resources. "Giving credit where credit is due." For further details visit - https://quasar.as.utexas.edu/BillInfo/JulianDatesG.html

!! Note, if month = 1 or 2 !! set YSW to 1 and set MSW to 1 (Never mind, that's not necessary. I was just experimenting but determined this is not necessary. Tested for months of January and February, in both date 1 and date 2, across multiple years too, but so far found no bugs.)

YSW1 = (-1) 0 MSW1 = (12) 0 !! Next 3 lines are for comparison date 1, beginning date, in YYYY M D format, each field is a separate line Y1 = YSW1 + 2024 M1 = MSW1 + 6 D1 = 26

YSW2 = (-1) 0 MSW2 = (12) 0 !! Next 3 lines are for comparison date 2, ending date, in YYYY M D format, each field is a separate line Y2 = YSW2 + 2024 M2 = MSW2 + 6 D2 = 28

A1=rdown(Y1/100,0) A2=rdown(Y2/100,0) B1=rdown(A1/4,0) B2=rdown(A2/4,0) X1=rdown(2-A1+B1,0) X2=rdown(2-A2+B2,0) E1=rdown(365.25(Y1+4716),0) E2=rdown(365.25(Y2+4716),0) F1=rdown(30.6001(M1+1),0) F2=rdown(30.6001(M2+1),0) JX1=rdown(X1+D1+E1+F1-1524.5,0) JX2=rdown(X2+D2+E2+F2-1524.5,0) JD1=rdown(JX1, 0) JD2=rdown(JX2, 0)

!! The next line defines your date difference variable DDIFF DDIFF = JD2 - JD1 Yr=365

!! Note, the next line contains a Subtotal - the Results area (right column) should remain blank. This is only done in order to determine if a stray Resulting numerical value has somehow been generated by accident somewhere within the Julian/Gregorian date difference calculation area. If a displayed numerical value does show up in the Results Area (right column) opposite of "Subtotal" in the Editors Area (left column), pls check the coding (both columns) above this line for the erroneous code and correct it. Subtotal

[burton999dev]

Dear Dan,

Thank you for your detailed message and for sharing your fascinating background. It's always a pleasure to connect with users who have such diverse experiences and passions. Your journey from tailoring spreadsheets for executives to embracing ranch life in rural Texas is truly inspiring! First, let me introduce myself properly. My name is Noriyoshi Fukuzaki, and I'm a Japanese programmer. I'm the developer behind CalcNote, which I created partly to help support my two boys, aged 9 and 3. As for my handle, burton999, it's a nod to my younger days when I was passionate about snowboarding. Burton was my favorite board brand, and I added 999 when "burton" was already taken on a website. It's stuck with me ever since!

Now, regarding your questions about CalcNote's capabilities: I appreciate your interest in using CalcNote for financial investment tracking and spreadsheet-like functionalities. However, I must admit that currently, CalcNote doesn't support some of the advanced features you're looking for, such as complex date calculations, Excel-like IF functions, or advanced logical operations (AND, OR). When I started developing CalcNote, my initial goal was to create an app that could handle calculations mixed with text. To achieve this, I implemented the calculation engine using the shunting yard algorithm. While effective for basic calculations, this approach makes it challenging to support more complex grammar like programming languages.

To implement richer functionalities like IF statements or logical operations, we'd likely need to rebuild the engine using an abstract syntax tree. It's something I've considered, but finding substantial development time is challenging with two young children. That said, recent advancements in AI might offer some interesting possibilities for easier implementation in the future.

Regarding the JavaScript engine used for user-defined functions, we're currently using an older library called Rhino. This limits the modern JavaScript expressions available. Upgrading to a newer JavaScript engine could address this, but ensuring backwards compatibility would be a significant undertaking.

I'm truly grateful for your enthusiasm for CalcNote and your efforts to push its capabilities. Users like you inspire me to continue improving the app. While I can't promise immediate implementation of these advanced features, please know that your feedback is invaluable and helps shape the future direction of CalcNote.

Best regards, Noriyoshi (aka burton999)

[DanMCallaghan]

So cool to meet you, Noriyoshi!

LOL, I dated a Japanese co-ed briefly (here in Texas) and it was extremely enlightening. She was a very nice girl, but the clash of our cultures (urban Japanese female vs rural Texas cowboy male), she was very shy / reserved / and soft-spoken, I was very brash, excitable, loud, and outspoken, was just too great. If have no idea why she ever agreed to go out with me.

We parted as friends, but she only lasted one year in Texas before she decided it would be best for her to go back home. In my previous (and even now occasionally temp contract) Internet work I deal with coworkers on projects around the world (India, Philippines, UK, Canada, Pakistan, etc).

Regarding the date difference calculation, I've been successfully using the code (if you can call it that), which automatically calculates the difference, in days (that I previously supplied), between two given dates, in this most recent version of the CalcNote file. The file is intended to be recreated monthly, thus saving each previous month's file, for record keeping.

Yes, it might seem inconvenient to write that routine, just to prevent manually counting the days. However, the beginning date never changes, so I just enter the newest ending date (currently just the month and day) and the sheet automatically adjusts all the calculations and values for the increase in days.

You still need to input that day's current market fund/share value plus any additional stock/fund share purchases - but after that the file supplies you with the current profit/loss percentage and values and even estimates your profit/loss percentage and value over the next year and your estimated year's balance. It is very basic, in my opinion, nothing too fancy.

Some of my old corporate spreadsheets were many thousands of lines and even had imbedded multimedia, etc. Now that's fancy. The CalcNote file requires the user to input current market data that helps the file user make quick-simple risk assessments regarding each fund's or stock's performance and whether or not to continue investing (along with reviewing other critical market research, of course). Naturally this is only based on a single, ever expanding, date range. I'm not tracking weeks, months, or multiple years. Just TODAY and ONE YEAR FROM TODAY.

As I mentioned before the file also tracks things like banks accounts, credit cards, etc. It actually doesn't contain any personal data (complete names, addresses, phone numbers, account numbers, security info) of my family member (for the most part, maybe a single first name here or there for convenience/reference) - so if your interested I'd be more than willing to email you a copy of the file to look at. It's basically just financial numbers and raw calculated data. It's not something I'd be comfortable posting here on github (or anywhere) for the entire world to see.

If you are interested just tell me where to send it. One final note: "yes" a product like Quicken Deluxe would do the vast majority of tracking this type of data input and output (reporting), but again, that would require a laptop or desktop Windows (or Apple) PC, not a smartphone (which is what I wanted to use, for convenience, daily, anywhere, anytime). That said, this method (a CalcNote file), while much less robust vs Quicken Deluxe, Excel, Libre Office, etc, is much more user friendly and easy to use.

I do own/use Quicken Deluxe, and let me tell you entering market data for stocks and funds is a nightmare, plus half the time the output information is incorrect. "Garbage in - garbage out?" LOL, also getting the software to consistently connect to banks, credit unions, markets, and credit card companies is a never ending battle.

Finally, you really have made a great product Noriyoshi! I hope your children and family appreciate everything you do.

Sincerely, Dan Callaghan Hoofprint Ranch, Mansfield, Texas USA