March 24 - Build a Prefix Notation Calculator in Ruby
Building a calculator is a popular interview question and a good approach for learning a programming language. In this guide we're going to build a Prefix Notation calculator in Ruby, which enables users to enter an operator, followed by any set of numbers to calculate.
Guide Tasks
- Read Tutorial
- Watch Guide Video
- Complete the Exercise
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Summary
Build a Prefix Notation Calculator in Ruby.
Exercise Description
Build a method that performs addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division on any number of values passed to the method. Additionally, ensure to handle improperly entered requests (bonus points if you build your own error handling class).
Example Input/Output
pn_calculator "+ 0 5 1 9 11" # => 26 pn_calculator "- 10 200" # => -190 pn_calculator "* 2 2" # => 4 pn_calculator "/ 0 5 1 9 11" # => 0.0 pn_calculator("* 10 b").to_s # => "Values need to be integers" pn_calculator("l 0 5").to_s # => "Operator is not valid, needs to be +, -, *, /"
Real World Usage
This is a popular interview coding question since it requires developers to showcase skill when it comes to working with mathematical calculations in Ruby. Additionally, it offers a number of potential implementation options, including a wide range of options when it comes to managing improper input from users.