WP-34S Rectangular/Polar (Suggested Change)

[BarryMead]

Orcinus wrote:


I never understood why complex value isn't always stored as P internally, with ->R and ->P only being different by a display flag (and input handling), in cases such as this.


This is the way some other calculators work, but looking into the source code, I would think this would be a major rewrite of the WP34S calculator. You can still buy the HP35S if you like that behavior.
Regarding the "Technical Reason". The WP34S does not provide any storage mechanism for complex numbers or range angle pairs. By convention the registers in the WP34S are all separate items.
Only CERTAIN functions operate on pairs or groups of registers, and the special meaning of those registers is spelled out in the IOP (Index of Operations). Even matrices are made of separate registers. They are
only handled as OBJECTS by the special matrix routines that understand how to group the registers. You have to FORMAT your matrix descriptor so that the matrix operations know which registers mean what.
This approach greatly simplifies the WP34s firmware, but does require that the user know what the functions do regarding groups of registers.

Many of us think the approach chosen by the WP34s has merit as well, because the simplified design allows the WP34S to pack in HUNDREDS of cool functions that don't exist in any other calculator.