Implementation of a Basic Calculator with

Scientific Functions in Android

Hibban Buhari
CST/12/COM/00325

Faculty of Computer Science and Information Technology

Department of Computer Science
Bayero University Kano.

Certification
This is to certify that the work in the project entitled Implementation of a
Basic Calculator with Scientific Functions in Android Mobile Devices by
Hibban Buhari is a SIWES Mini Project work carried out under my
supervision and guidance in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the
award of the degree of Bachelor of Computer Science.

S. H. Muhammad

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Acknowledgment
I would like to use this opportunity to express my humble gratitude to Mal.
S. H. Muhammad under whom I executed this project. His constant
guidance and willingness to share his vast knowledge made me understand
this project and its manifestations in great depths and helped me to
complete the assigned tasks.

I would like to thank all Faculty members and sta of the Department of
Computer Science, B.U.K for their generous help in various ways for the
completion of this work.

Finally, yet importantly, I would like to express my heartfelt thanks to my

beloved parents for their blessings, my friends and classmates for their help
and wishes for the successful completion of this project.

Hibban Buhari

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Abstract
Since ages, calculation has been one of the most important way to enable
human beings compute values in various distinct being it marketing,
accounting, e.t.c. Calculator plays vital role in the history of mankind
originating from the Abacus, to the invention of the first electronic
calculator by Blaise Pascal. This helps individuals and organization in
computing various number together.

In this project, an attempt has been made to design in implement a

scientific-like calculator for mobile devices. The aim of the project is to
create an Android mobile application for use in carrying out mathematical
computations that can be used by all. This application receives input from
the user and performs the required arithmetic operation.

This application uses Android application development toolkit. Android is

a Linux-based operating system developed for smartphones or tablet
computers. It is a stack of software that includes operating system,
middleware and libraries and APIs written in C. The Android application
is developed in Java-like language using the Android Software
Development Kit (SDK). The Integrated Development Environment (IDE)
which is ocially supported for Android apps development and used in
this project is Android Studio, it requires no plugin as it is the new
repository to Android Developers to use, better than Eclipse, which uses
the Android Development Tools (ADT) plugin.

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Table of Contents
Certification ............................................................................................ ii
Acknowledgment ................................................................................... iii
Abstract .................................................................................................. iv
Chapter 1 ................................................................................................. 1
Introduction ............................................................................................. 1
1.1

What is Android? ............................................................................ 1

1.2

The Android Platform ..................................................................... 2

1.3

Android Software Stack. ................................................................. 2

1.3.1

Application Framework ............................................................ 3

1.3.2

Dalvik Virtual Machine (DVM) ............................................... 3

1.3.3

SQlite ....................................................................................... 4

1.3.4

Linux Kernal ............................................................................ 4

1.3.5

System Libraries and Android Runtime System ....................... 5

1.3.6

Application Framework Layer .................................................. 6

1.3.7

Applications & Widgets Layer ................................................. 6

1.4

Objective ........................................................................................ 7

Chapter 2 ................................................................................................. 8
General Description, Requirement Analysis and Specification ................ 8
2.1

Introduction .................................................................................... 8

2.2

Product Perspective ........................................................................ 8

2.3

General Constraints ........................................................................ 8

2.4

Requirement Analysis ..................................................................... 9

2.5

Functional Requirements of the System .......................................... 9

Chapter 3 ............................................................................................... 11
Design & Implementation ...................................................................... 11
3.1

Function Oriented Software Design .............................................. 11

3.2

Object Oriented Software Design ................................................. 11

3.3

Implementation ............................................................................. 12

3.4

Android API ................................................................................. 12

3.5

Graphical User Interface ............................................................... 13

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Chapter 4 ............................................................................................... 15
Conclusions and Future Work ................................................................ 15
4.1

Conclusion.................................................................................... 15

4.2

Future Work ................................................................................. 15

References ............................................................................................. 16

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Chapter 1
Introduction
Since ages, calculation has been one of the most important way to enable
human beings compute values in various distinct being it marketing,
accounting, e.t.c. Calculator plays vital role in the history of mankind
originating from the Abacus, to the invention of the first electronic
calculator by Blaise Pascal. This helps individuals and organization in
computing various number together.

The design in implements a scientific-like calculator for mobile devices.

The aim of the project is to create an Android mobile application for use in
carrying out mathematical computations that can be used by all. This
application receives input from the user and performs the required
arithmetic operation.

1.1

What is Android?

Android is a Linux-based operating system developed for smart phones or

tablet computers. It is a stack of software that includes operating system,
middleware and libraries and APIs written in C. It was developed by
Google and Open Handset Alliance in July, 2005. Android is an open
source and Google releases the source code under Apache license. This
open source and free license allow the manufacturers and the enthusiastic
developers to freely develop and modify their applications in Java-like
language that utilizes Google-developed Java libraries.

The Android applications are developed using the Android software

development kit (SDK). The SDK includes a comprehensive set of
development tools which includes a debugger, software libraries, a handset
based emulator which is based on QEMU (Quick EMUlator) and tutorials.
The integrated development environment (IDE) which is ocially
supported for Android apps development is Eclipse which uses the
Android Development Tools (ADT) plugin. The following are the several
features which help in the development of Android applications:

1.2

The Android Platform

The Android Platform is a software stack designed primarily but not

exclusively to support mobile devices such as phones and tables.

The stack has several layers. The layers ranges from low level operating
system services that manages the device and its configurations up to
sample Applications like Phone Dialer, Contacts Database and Web
Browser. Android software also comes with a Software Developers Kit,
SDK, used to create Android Applications.

1.3

Android Software Stack.

The Android software stack is organized into several layers as follows:

1.

Linux Kernel Layer;

2.

System Libraries and Android Runtime System;

3.

Application Framework Layer; and

4.

Standard Applications Layer.

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1.3.1 Application Framework

Android application framework is supported by number of open source
libraries like OpenSSL, SQLite, and Libc. The application framework is
also supported by the Android core libraries. The framework is based on
UNIX file system permissions which ensures security as the applications
can have only those abilities that mobile phone owner give at the time of
installation. The application framework enables the reuse and replacement
of components.

1.3.2 Dalvik Virtual Machine (DVM)

Dalvik is a process virtual machine used in Googles Android operating
system. It is a low memory based virtual machine which is especially
designed for Android to run on the embedded systems and work eciently
in low power. The programs are commonly written in Java and are
compiled into bytecode. This bytecode is then converted form JVM .class
files to .dex file (Dalvik executable) before installation on a device.

Fig1.1: Dalvik VM Conversion

1.3.3 SQlite
Android OS contains the SQLite database management classes which is
used by an application to maintain its own private database. SQLite is a
relational database management system contained in C programming
library. It is mostly preferred as embedded database for local or client
storage in application software. It has many bindings to the programming
languages.

1.3.4 Linux Kernal

The Linux Kernel Layer is the lowest layer of software in the Android
Platform. It provides core services that Android computing devices rely on
and generic operating system services.

These services include:

a. permission architecture to restrict access to data and resources to
processes that have proper authorization;
b. memory and process management to enable multiple processes run
simultaneously without interfering with each other; and
c. device drivers to enable Android communicate with the wide range
low-level hardware components that can couple with computing
devices such as memory, camera.

Android Linux Kernel also has some specific components. These are but
not limited to:
a. Android Linux Kernel includes built in power management to enable
mobile device run on battery power;
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b. it also has built-in memory sharing and memory management

features because of the limited memory of mobile devices;
c. it also includes inter-process communication mechanism called
binder to allows multiple processes and services share resources in
sophisticated ways.

1.3.5 System Libraries and Android Runtime System

The system libraries often referred to as the native library are written in C
and C++. They handle a lot of core performance sensitive activities on
Android devices.

The Android libraries has built-in system C library handling process and
thread creation, mathematical computation, and memory allocation, also,
the System Libraries include:
i.

the Surface Manager for managing and updating the display;

ii.

the Media Framework used for playing back Audio and Video files;

iii.

the WebKit for rendering Browser and opening WebPages;

iv.

Open GL for high performance graphics; and

v.

SQLite for managing in-memory relational database engine.

In addition to the System Libraries, the layer also includes the Android
Runtime which supports writing and running Android applications.

The Android Runtime System has two main components i.e. the Core Java
Libraries and the Dalvik Virtual Machine.

1.3.6 Application Framework Layer

The Application Framework Layer contains reusable softwares that many
Mobile Applications may likely need e.g. the View System (contains text,
buttons, e.t.c.).

These include:
Package Manager;
Window Manager;
View System;
Resource Manager;
Activity Manager;
Location Manager;
Notification Manager.

1.3.7 Applications & Widgets Layer

Android OS come with some built in Applications in the Mobile Devices.
The Applications & Widgets Layer is the highest layer in the architectural
diagram of Android layers. The layer handles the built in Applications
which include the standard applications that can take over the whole screen
and interact with the user comprising the Home Screen, the Contacts
Database, the Phone Dialer, the Web Browser, Email Reader, e.t.c. End
users will only see these programs.

On the other hand, Widgets (sometimes called gadgets) only operate in a

small rectangle of the Home Screen application. One advantage of the
Android Application & Widgets Layer is that these standard Applications
are not hard-coded in the device. A developer may substitute an
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Application with his own 3rd party Application that he feels is a better
Application.

Figure 1.2: Growth Chart for the android OS

Nowadays, Android phones have emerged as the worlds most popular
mobile platform. Its the largest installed base of any mobile platform and
growing fast. Millions of users are using android phones and android
applications are becoming more and more popular.

1.4

Objective

Design a Calculator to use to perform basic arithmetic computations for

mobile devices for easy and proper evaluation of computation.
1.

Develop and implement a Calculator.

2.

To create an Android mobile application that provides a User

Interface to interact with the system.

Chapter 2
General Description, Requirement Analysis and Specification

2.1

Introduction

The calculator system gives an ease in the working and performing

mathematical functions of the system in an easy way through an intuitive
interface that makes it easy for user to tap on using the rich gesture facility
of Android Operating System

2.2

Product Perspective

The Calculator System simplifies computations of our day-to-day activities

using our mobile devices. The system can be deployed on every mobile
device running the Android OS. The software focus on the easy way of
conducting mathematical computations with the use of mobile phones.

2.3

General Constraints

The general constraints of this system are of two types

1.

Hardware Constraints

2.

Software constraints

Any devices which can run Android Operating System. And the following
are the software constraints of the system.

2.4

Requirement Analysis

The Application developed follows the following steps of Software

Development Lifecycle. The System Requirement Specification model
developed for the system is as listed below

The SRS model Contains

Functional Requirements.
Non-Functional requirements

2.5

Functional Requirements of the System

The functional requirements part discuss the functional behavior that should
be possessed by the system. Each requirement maps to a high level function
that transforms the given set of input data into output data.

Dierent functional requirements possessed by the system are:Activity_main.xml

Description: The xml file containing the user interface of the system.
Users would be presented with an interface to interact with through
their mobile phones.
FirstActivity.java
Description: The file containing the Java declaration and expression
files. The MainActivity.java is a class that extends the Activity class
and implements various methods contained in the Activity class.
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Splash.xml
Description: The xml file containing the Splash Screen user interface
of the system. This activity runs for 5 seconds providing the user with
the devices date and time and calls the First Activity.

Splash.java
Description: The file containing the Java declaration and expressions
for the Splash.xml. The Splash.java is a class that extends the Activity
class inherits the FirstActivity and implements various methods
contained in the Activity class.

It also uses an Intent method used in the Activity class in Android to

request functionality from other Android components.

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Chapter 3
Design & Implementation
The design phase emphasizes on the transformation of user requirements as
defined in the SRS document, into a form that is suitable for coding.

The design phase can be broadly classified in two levels.

Preliminary or high level design
Detailed design

The preliminary design can be further divided into two sub categories
Function Oriented Software Design
Object Oriented Software Design
3.1

Function Oriented Software Design

This design model can be represented by drawing the DFDs (Data Flow
Diagrams) for the given SRS document.

A data flow diagram is a graphical representation of the data flow through an

information system which is used to model the process aspects of the system.
DFD is the preliminary step used to create an overview of the system. DFD is
used for structured design.
3.2

Object Oriented Software Design

In this design approach the system is viewed as a collection of entities

(objects). Each object manages its own properties (attributes) and state.
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3.3

Implementation

The Application is implemented according to three tier architecture. Three tier

architecture is commonly known as Client-Server architecture, where Client
is the consumer of the services, also the requester of services whereas the
server side is the provider of services. The third layer that is the middle layer
that converts the users requests into server understandable form.

The system developed contains Android application in its front end ie the
client side. The middle layer that connects the client side to the server side is
the Jason (JavaScript Object Notation) Parser that is primarily used to transmit
data between server and server application.

3.4

Android API

API stand for Application Programming Interface. It contains the following

features Applications are written in Java;
The source code file is compiled into Java Bytecode file;
DX converts the Java Bytecode file to single Dex Bytecode file;
The Dex file is then packaged with other Application resources and
installed on the Device;
And finally, when the user launches the Application, the Dalvik Virtual
Machine executes the Dex file.
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Fig. 3.1: Android API Debug process

3.5

Graphical User Interface

The application GUI is developed using the android SDK and the various
forms are as shown below.

Fig. 3.2: Launcher Icon

Fig. 3.3: Startup Splash Screen

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Fig 3.5: Result from

Evaluation

Fig 3.4: Main Activity

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Chapter 4
Conclusion and Future Work

4.1

Conclusion

The Calculator for mobile devices is a very effective tool which can be used
to a great extent. The system is portable and can be easily installed and used
on any mobile phones supporting Android OS.

The use of this system can result in a reduction of number of time spent
computing values. It also provides an interface which is easy to understand by
the users and greatly helps in adapting to the use of this system.

4.2

Future Work

The system can be further enhanced and several other functionalities can be
added. The system can be made to send result to an output file, generate log
and usage statistics, and can be made to retrieve the generated log activity.
The present system prints to the stack usage logs and statistics.

The system can also be enhanced by using voice recognition feature of the
Android.

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References
Android Developers. (2014, December 6). Creating an Android Project.
Retrieved from Android Developers Training:
https://developer.android.com/training/basics/firstapp/creatingproject.html
Lars Vogel. (2014, December 28). Vogella. Retrieved from Android
Development: http://www.vogella.com
Murphy, M. L. (2009 - 2011). Android Programming Tutorials. United State
of America: CommonsWare.
Travis. (n.d.). Android Application Development Tutorial. Retrieved from
http://www.travis.com

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