fend
An arbitrary-precision unit-aware calculator with support for complex numbers, dice rolls, and multiple unit systems.
What is fend?
Fend is an arbitrary-precision unit-aware calculator that performs exact calculations using rational numbers and supports complex numbers. It automatically handles unit conversions across SI, US/UK customary, and historical units, and includes features like dice rolls and multi-base arithmetic. It provides both a command-line interface and a web version for mathematical and practical computations.
Developers, engineers, scientists, and students who need precise calculations with unit conversions, especially those working in fields like physics, engineering, or data analysis. It's also suitable for tabletop gamers needing dice roll simulations and programmers dealing with multiple numeric bases.
Developers choose fend for its combination of arbitrary-precision arithmetic, automatic unit tracking with conversions, and support for complex numbers—all in a single tool. Its unique selling points include D&D-style dice rolling, lambda calculus support, and versatile CLI shortcuts, distinguishing it from basic calculators.
Overview
Arbitrary-precision unit-aware calculator
Use Cases
Best For
- Performing exact mathematical calculations with rational numbers to avoid floating-point errors.
- Converting between units automatically in scientific, engineering, or everyday measurements (e.g., temperature, length).
- Simulating dice rolls for tabletop gaming or probabilistic modeling.
- Working with numbers in various bases like binary, octal, or hexadecimal for programming tasks.
- Handling complex number operations in mathematical or electrical engineering contexts.
- Storing and reusing variables with units for repeated calculations in scripts or interactive sessions.
Not Ideal For
- Real-time applications requiring fast, simple arithmetic without unit tracking
- Projects needing advanced graphical plotting or data visualization capabilities
- Symbolic mathematics tasks like equation solving or integral calculus
- Embedded systems with strict memory and processing constraints
Pros & Cons
Pros
Uses rational numbers for arbitrary-precision calculations, ensuring exact results without floating-point errors, as demonstrated in examples like 'cos (pi/4)' providing precise values.
Supports SI, US/UK customary, and historical units with automatic conversions, shown in examples such as '1 ft to cm' and '100 C to F' for seamless real-world calculations.
Handles binary, octal, hexadecimal, and all bases from 2 to 36, useful for programming tasks, e.g., '0b1001 + 3' and '0xffff to decimal' in the README examples.
Includes D&D-style dice rolls ('roll d20') and lambda calculus support, catering to tabletop gamers and functional programming enthusiasts, as highlighted in the feature list.
Cons
Lacks built-in support for matrices, statistics, or symbolic algebra, limiting its use for complex mathematical modeling beyond basic trigonometric operations and unit conversions.
Primarily a command-line tool with a basic web interface; there's no native graphical application for rich interactions or visualization, which might deter users seeking GUI-based calculators.
Installation via Cargo requires the Rust toolchain, which can be cumbersome for users not familiar with Rust, compared to simpler package managers like Homebrew or winget.
Frequently Asked Questions
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