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Inbuilt Calculator Function
Started by Colleen Stromei in Feature Requests | Done!





I'm a QuickBooks user as well as Xero - In QuickBooks, all the numbers fields have the facility that once you've entered a number, if you then press any of the add/minus/times or multipy by keys, the field turns into a mini calculator, so you can do your sum 'on the fly' - it's really useful and I use it a lot - any chance Xero could have this?

http://code.google.com/p/chromey-calculator/wiki/Help

Luke Pullin

Jacqui Lui








Leanne Crisp

Jasmine Hickford


Anne-Therese Pratt





Anne-Therese Pratt

Assuming you mean something along the lines of being able to enter formula into a numeric field and when you tab out it gets converted into the result.
I've had a chat to some of our developers and we think we can squeeze something in amongst all the other things we're doing (you guys are tough task masters) - however, I am keen to know how far you think we should take it.
Should the numeric fields be able to process only simple formula (basic operators only) like,
145 / 33
0.15 * 200
or multiple operations taking in to account BODMAS,
1200 - 0.2 * 40 / 24
(1200 - 0.2) * 40 / 24
or access to math functions
SQRT(144) - 24^(2*30) - PI
or referencing other data on page,
invoiceamount * 0.25
I should probably stop now

Hitting enter is handy to calculate and show a total inside the field without actually tabbing out (like treating enter as an "=" button).
BODMAS is probably not what we are looking for. eg if we were to go 2+3*5 inside the field i am sure 99.9% of the time we are actually wanting (2+3)*5 (that's where enter comes in handy if you're unsure what would happen ie 2+3 enter * 5
Its usually just addition, subtraction, multiplication and division that is used and in the order we need it, ignoring BODMAS.
People are gonna love this function even though a lot don't realise it yet because they've never used it.
I should probably stop now

how hard could it be?
I really better stop now
(love your work tho Tokes)

Gayle, I think I meant exactly what you said but I thought i better reply in software developer language.
Andrew, what Gayle said.


The nice thing about XERO updates - we get told what they are, do and how to use them.
Looking forward to Monday!

@Michael - easy tiger, I didn't say it would be there by Monday!
Will talk to Design about whether we need to visualise that a field can accept formula... or leave it as a nice discovery.

The mathematician in me agrees with you about the BODMAS debate.
The accountant in me isn't even fussed about the in-built calculator and will rarely use it.
However, and I think most importantly with this feature...
The book-keeper in me doesn't care about BODMAS and possibly, without sounding patronising, has never used it since high school and has forgotten how it works.
This in-built calculator feature is something that book-keepers will use more than others and it will be mostly used for bulk addition and subtraction, a little bit of multiplication and division, and like Michael said, some pecentages, which can of course be calculated by multiplication. i.e in Michael's example 66 * .25
In a real world scenario using this feature, you may, for example, add up a whole bunch of numbers and then multiply by .15 to get the GST.
In this example BODMAS would be a bad thing as it would only multiply the last number in the sequence by .15 and then add the rest.
I used the in-built calculator in Quickbooks for years and years and I'm racking my brain to try and think when BODMAS might have been appropriate in the calculation.
Its a book-keepers quick calculator for data entry much more than it is a scientific calculator for obeying the rules of mathematics



The idea is not to need a desktop calculator, third party software or anything that takes any time to change to or move to from the Xero numerical field you're in.
Its one of those things that most people won't realise just how handy it is until it is added as a feature.

Coming Soon
Partner Edition - better management of organisations; grouping, favourites
New and improved (NZ) GST return
Inbuilt calculator for numeric data entry
Purchase orders
Payment summaries revamp (AU)
New SGC rate (AU)


MYOB have a feature where you can use a CALCULATOR in a $$ field. Can XERO do this? So frustrating to keep opening my on-line calculator for doing additions in invoices or 'spend money' wher the $$ amounts need to be broken down as a % for business use and % to private use.
Pllllllllllllllllllleeeeeeaaaaaassssseeeee ADD this feature!!



Enter 1+2
Press = and the cell changes to 3 with the insertion pointer after the 3 so you can continue:
Enter *4 (3*4 is showing in the cell now)
Tab or '=' and you get the result of 12.
If client enters 1+2*4 they get 9 and they may be expecting to get 12.

thanks


I really struggle to think of (or remember from Quickbooks) times when BODMAS would be applicable.
The idea of using the = key is also good. Would actually be essential if you're going to stick with BODMAS as sometimes some things will need to be added or subtracted before multiplying or dividing and then BODMAS would screw it up or time would be wasted adding brackets.



Good job......lets make this topic done, so we can use our votes elsewhere!! Thanks!!

I agree it 's a great feature




has someone started an new feature request