Calculate Anything

Ulauncher/Albert Calculate Anything is an extension for Ulauncher and Albert to calculate things like currency, time, percentage, units, complex equations, base-n expressions and more.

The calculate_anything module does not depend on Ulauncher or Albert so it is extensible for other use cases (see demo with prompt_toolkit).

See Features for supported features, Contents for installation instructions and more

Albert Demo

Ulauncher Demo

Features

Calculator for Anything

• Currency Converter: See Currency for examples
• Time Converter: Convert time to other timezones and compute time expressions or find time remaining until any date-time. See Time for examples.
• Units Converter: Compute and Convert units to other units. See Units for examples.
• Normal Calculator: Supports functions such as cos, sin, tan. Check Calculator for examples.
• Complex Numbers Calculator: Also supports Normal Calculator’s functions. Check Calculator for examples.
• Percentage Calculator Calculate percentages see Percentages for examples.
  • Supports all expressions that Normal Calculator and Complex Calculator Support
• Base N Calculator: Calculate numbers and expressions to other number base. See Base N Calculator for examples.
  • Base 16 (hex): Calculates expression to decimal, biniary, octal, color (i.e RGB, YSV, etc), Bytes (representation of string)
  • Base 2 (bin), Base 8 (oct), Base 10 (dec)
  • Supports functions: or, xor, and, mod, div, +, -, /

The only launcher specific files for ulauncher and albert are main.py, __init__.py in the root of this project

Dependencies: simpleeval, pint parsedatetime and pytz (for parsedatetime)
Currency and Unit converter as well as a Calculator for numbers, complex numbers, percentages and time that supports mathematical functions and Complex Numbers.

Optional Dependencies: babel. Installing this will format your results in your language/locale.

Contents

• Install for Ulauncher
• Install for Albert
• How to setup
• Examples
• Known Issues
• Extending and more

Install for Ulauncher

Thus extension depends on Pint, simpleeval and parsedatetime. Install them with:

# You probably have some of them already installed
/usr/bin/python3 -m pip install Pint simpleeval parsedatetime pytz

# Optionally for translations and formatting to your locale
/usr/bin/python3 -m pip install babel

Open Ulauncher go to Extensions > Add extension and paste https://github.com/tchar/ulauncher-albert-calculate-anything

Install for Albert

Similarly to Ulauncher the same dependencies are are required.

To install the extension for Albert run

# You probably have some of them already installed
/usr/bin/python3 -m pip install Pint simpleeval parsedatetime pytz

# Optionally for translations and formatting to your locale
/usr/bin/python3 -m pip install babel

# Determine Install location
[ -z "$XDG_DATA_HOME" ] && INSTALL_DIR=~/.local/share || INSTALL_DIR=$XDG_DATA_HOME

# Create module directory if not exists
mkdir -p $INSTALL_DIR/albert/org.albert.extension.python/modules/

# Install extension
git clone https://github.com/tchar/ulauncher-albert-calculate-anything $INSTALL_DIR/albert/org.albert.extension.python/modules/

Open albert, enable Python extensions and then enable the Calculate Anything extension.

You can double click it to open module’s location and edit __init__.py to add your preferences.

How to Setup

Albert

If you are using Albert open the extension location normally at ~/.local/share/albert/org.albert.extension.python/modules/ulauncher-albert-calculate-anything/__init__.py and edit the preferences mentioned below in the apropriate variable API_KEY, CACHE, DEFAULT_CURRENCIES, DEFAULT_CITIES, SHOW_EMPTY_PLACEHOLDER or __triggers__ for the keyword

The extension can work in albert without keywords if you comment out the __triggers__ option, however if another extension has the keyword you type, Calculate Anything won't trigger (see relevant issue)

Ulauncher

If you are using Ulauncher use the extension preferences.

Set Currency Provider

You can select from different currency providers. Supported providers are:

• fixer.io: You need an API Key (see Set API Key). Get a free one at https://fixer.io/signup (go to your fixer.io dashboard and get your API key). This will include all providers from Internal
• Internal: If you select this option currencies are going to be fetched from a variety of providers like coinbase, mycurrency.net and European Central Bank: No API key is requred.

Preferences:

• ULauncher: Select one in currency provider
• Albert: Modify the CURRENCY_PROVIDER in __init__.py to one of [fixerio, internal (European Central Bank)]

Set API Key

In order for the currency conversion to work for providers that need an API Key, you need to set it in the preferences.

• ULauncher: Copy your api key to the API KEY box in preferences
• Albert: Modify the API_KEY in __init__.py

Cache

For currency conversion you can enable the cache for a minimum of 1 day up to 1 year. This will store the results fetched by your currency provider to prevent redundant requests. This is especially helpful if you have a free plan on a paid currency provider that limits your requests. It will also display the results faster, since no request is made. If all requested currencies have been cached, no request is made.

• Ulauncher: Edit Currency Cache in the extension preferences
• Albert: Edit CACHE=86400 in __init__.py and set it to your interval in seconds

Default currency

In the preferences you can define a comma separated list of default currencies to show when typing conversion without target unit/currency.
Defaults to USD,EUR,CAD,GBP,AUD

• ULauncher: Edit in Default Currencies preferences
• Albert: Edit DEFAULT_CURRENCIES in __init__.py

Default cities

In the preferences you can define a comma separated list of default cities when using the time command

• ULauncher: Edit in Default Currencies preferences
• Albert: Edit DEFAULT_CITIES in __init__.py

Units Conversion Mode

In the preferences you can define a units conversion mode. For now there is normal (default) and crazy.

Crazy means that the unit converter/calculator tries to convert all possible units (currency included) available under the name.

See Currency and Units for more

Crazy mode is experimental and bugs are to be expected

• ULauncher: Edit in Units Conversion mode preferences
• Albert: Edit UNITS_CONVERSION_MODE in __init__.py

Show Empty Placeholder

• ULauncher: Default is No. Set to Yes to show an empty placeholder when extension doesn’t return anything
• Albert: Change SHOW_EMPTY_PLACEHOLDER=True in __init__.py

Commands and Syntax

To calculate/convert anything you can use the keywords

• =: For currency, units and calculator
• time: For time calculations
• dec/hex/bin/oct: For base-n and calculations

You can go directly to examples or use the ones from the demo

To convert currency type your keyword and then

• AMOUNT CURRENCY to get conversion in the default currencies set in the preferences (requires cache)
• AMOUNT CURRENCY in(or to) CURRENCY1,CURRENCY2,CURRENCY3
• CURRENCY in(or to) CURRENCY1,CURRENCY2,CURRENCY3

To convert units use

• AMOUNT UNIT in(or to) UNIT1,UNIT2,UNIT3
• UNIT in(or to) UNIT1,UNIT2,UNIT3

Comma separated units and currencies can have spaces between them.

For time you can use the time keyword with a syntax

• time To get the current time plus the default cities you defined in the preferences
• time at CITY,[COUNTRY|COUNTRY CODE|STATE CODE] to get the current time for a specified city
• time + AMOUNT [MONTH|YEAR|WEEK|DAY|HOUR|MINUTE|SECOND] [+ AMOUNT ...] [at CITY, [COUNTRY|COUNTRY CODE|STATE CODE]] to get the time after the calculation at a specified city.

To calculate an expression just type your expression as in the demo

• You can use functions such as tan,atan,asinh
• You can use complex numbers too like 1 + 5i

To calculate percentages you can use one of the following

• AMOUNT1% of AMOUNT2 to calculate the AMOUNT1 percent of AMOUNT2
• AMOUNT1 as % of AMOUNT2 to calculate AMOUNT1 as a percentage of AMOUNT2

If you select one results it will be copied to clipboard.

Examples

Currency

Simple Conversion

• Convert 10 euros to american dollars
  • 10 eur to USD
  • 10 euros to $
  • 10 eurs to dollars

Multiple Conversion

• Convert 10 euros to american dollars, canadian dollars, bitcoin, and mexican pesos
  • 10 EUR to USD,canadian,bitcoin,mexican

Crazy Conversion

crazy mode must be enabled in preferences

• Convert 1 us dollar per pound to euros per kilogram
  • 1 $ / pound to EUR / kg
• Convert 10 us dollars per square foot squared to canadian dollars per meter squared
  • 10 $ / foot ^ 2 to CAD / meter ^ 2

Time

You can also add and subtract time
For example if now is 2021-07-05 14:14:42 then you can use the following

Be careful to use date timespans like 2 years 5 months 2 weeks 3 days 1 hour 4 minutes 3 seconds and not dates like December 2022.

In the following examples the time returned is accompanied by the date time in the default cities you specified in the extension preferences

• time: Returns 2021-07-05 14:14:42 as well as the date time in the default cities specified in settings
• time plus 1 hour: Returns Today at 15:14:42
• time + 1 day: Returns Tomorrow at 14:14:42
• time minus 1 day: Returns Yesterday at 14:14:42
• time + 2 hours 2 minutes 5 seconds: Returns Today at 15:16:47
• time + 1 year: Returns 2022-07-05 14:14:42
• time + 1 year 2 days 2 hours - 4 years 4 minutes: Returns 2018-07-07 16:10:42

Specifying a target city

You can use all the commands above followed by at CITY NAME or at CITY NAME, COUNTRY NAME|COUNTRY CODE|STATE CODE to get te result in your local time as well as the specified city

• time at Prague
• time + 2 hours at Madrid
• time + 2 hours at Vancouver, CA: (There are two Vancouvers, so by specifying CA as returns the Canadian Vancouver)
• time + 2 days 3 seconds at Vancouver, Canada
• time + 1 hour + 3 years at Athens, AL: (Athens AL refers to Athens at Alabama)

Using until

You can also use the until command (Experimental) to calculate duration of time until a specific date

Note: The midnight keyword shifts one day after, so midnight is considered to belong in the next day

In the following examples you can specify a specific date and time or say for example a number of years months etc.

Keywords such as a/next/last/previous/ago, years/months/weeks/days/hours/minutes/seconds, morning/noon/afternoon/evening/night/midnight, tomorrow/yesterday and the combination of those will work like in the normal mode.

• time until December 31 midnight: Returns remaining days, hours minutes until January 00:00:00 (end of day for December)
• time until midnight: Returns remaining hours minutes seconds until midnight for this day (midnight is at 00:00:00)
• time until tomorrow: Day starts at 09:00
• time until tomorrow evening: Hours/Days until tomorrow at 18:00
• time until a year ago: Negative result
• time until 2000000 year: Easter egg

And many more combinations

Units

The units supported are all units that pint supports (which is quite a lot)

Simple Conversion

• Convert 100 fahrenheit to celsius
  • 100 f to c

Multiple Conversion

• Convert 20 centimeters to inches and meters
  • 20 cm to inches, m
  • 20 cm to inches,meters

Advanced Conversion

• Convert kilometers per meter to centimeters per minute, kilometers per minute, inches per second and centimeters per second.
  • 20 km/h to cm/min, km/minute, in/s, cm/sec
• Convert kilowhats per second to horsepower per hour and megawatts per second
  • 10 kw/sec to hp/h, mw/s
• Convert meters per squared second to kilometers per squared hour
  • 10 m/s^2 to km/h^2
• Convert megabytes per second to gigabytes per hour
  • 10 mb/s to gb/h

You can lieterally convert anything if the apropriate units match

• Convert kilometer * centimeter * second per gibabyte to inches * meter * hour per megabyte
  • 10 km * cm * s / gb to inches * meter * hour / mb

Crazy Conversion

crazy mode must be enabled in preferences

• 1 m to cm may have two compatible units meter and mole, so it will return both results

Percentages

Simple Cases

• Calculate what is 10% of 40
  • 10% of 40: Answer is 4
• To calculate what percentage of 30 is 5, any of the following works
  • 5 is what % of 30: Answer is 16.6667%
  • 5 is what % 30
  • 5 as % of 30
  • 5 in % of 30
  • 5 in % 30

Advanced Cases

• 10% of cos(pi) + 5: Answer is 0.4
• 3 + 2 * pi % of cos(pi) + 5: Answer is 0.371328
• 5 as % sqrt(2) + 5: Answer is 77.9519%
• 1 + sin(pi) as % sqrt(2) + 5: Answer is 15.5904%

Calculator

The calculator works like a normal calculator, but is able to work with complex numbers too.

The following constants exist: pi, e, tau and others from cmath

The following functions exist: phase, polar, rect, exp, log, log10, sqrt, acos, asin, atan, cos, sin, tan, acosh, asinh, atanh, cosh, sinh, tanh and others from cmath

Simple Cases

• 10 + sqrt(2): Answer is 11.4142
• 10 + cos(pi) + 30 * e ^ 2: Answer is 230.672

Complex Numbers

Use i as the imaginary unit

• 10 + sqrt(2) + i: Answer is 11.4142 + i
• cos(1 + i): Answer is 0.83373 - 0.988898i
• e ^ (pi * i) + 1: Answer is 0 (Euler’s identity)

Base N Calculator

Use with the keywords hex, dec, bin, oct by default.

Simple Cases

• dec 1000: Returns result in hex, bin, oct
• hex ffa12: Returns result in dec, bin, oct as well as bytes representation of the input query (including spaces)
• bin 10101: Returns result in dec, hex, oct

Special cases with hex

The hex calculator will always produce the byte representation of its input query.

Color Conversion with hex

If the input is in the format of #xxxxxx where xxxxxx is a valid hex number, it will convert the number representing a color to other color formats.

• hex #fa1234: Returns colors result in rgb, hsv, hsl, cmyk.

Advanced Cases

• dec/hex/bin/oct 10101 and 10110 xor 10 + 1010 - 1010 div 10 and 10101: Returns the result in all available base-n (dec, hex, oct, bin)
  • Digits must be valid in the base you are using (e.g 2012 is invalid for bin)

Known Issues

If at any moment currency stops showing try removing the currency cache file and restart the Launcher/program

Linux

rm ~/.cache/com.github.tchar.calculate-anything/currency_data.json

Windows

rm ~\AppData\Local\tchar\com.github.tchar.calculate-anything\Cache\currency_data.json

macOS

rm ~/Library/Caches/com.github.tchar.calculate-anything/currency_data.json

Extending and More

The calculate_anything module does not depend on ulauncher or albert, only the main.py (for Ulauncher) and __init__.py (for albert) do. You can extend it for other cases.

See the documentation for API call examples

You can also find a sample usage of the API using prompt_toolkit at the prompt.py file.

Here is a demo

Adding flags

If your currencie’s flag is missing you can place it in the extension’s flags directory at calculate_anything/images/flags/ and restart your launcher or make a pull request to include it.

Make sure to name your flag image in uppercase 2 letter name of your country. To make a currency flag, simply link the country flag you want to the currency e.g ln -s US.svg USD.svg or add a completely new flag For example American Dollar’s flag is in calculate_anything/images/flags/USD.svg. You can use most image formats (i.e svg, png)