Structural engineering programs

[Johnh]

I'd like to test the water to ask if anyone here is interested in programs for structural engineering? I'm thinking of working towards a 'Pac'

I've written quite a number of these over the years, for various calculators, and also a number of spreadsheets which would be simple enough to implement on a calculator.

My current Interest would be for a 15C, but it may be better to work with something more generally versatile such as a 42.

Anything for a calculator needs to be fairly simple and direct, because if not, then a calculator isn't the right tool.

So far, for my Hp15C-Ce I have a nice little program to work out major-axis section properties of a general symmetrical I section or box section, or a general circular hollow section

For Hp35s, I have this for Assymetrical sections too, for which the ability to have Alpha prompts is very useful.
Also, for Hp35s I have singly or doubly reinforced concrete beams, and concrete columns in bending and axial. But sadly, this general great calculator turns out to be useless due to the many ways in which it loses all its data with no option to back up.

Years ago, I also had the above worked out for BASIC on a Casio pocket computer, and also a TI58. In BASIC, I had some general continuous beam analysis, which used Moment Distribution

Steel beam and column calcs is another one I've written several times. With these and the concrete programs, they have to be written to follow a code, and that depends which country it's for, and codes change too.

[John Keith]

I'm no expert on structural engineering but I would suggest going with the 42 (or 48) because of the larger memory and use of alphanumeric labels and prompts. Even the new 15CE is limited in these areas. There are many structural engineering programs on hpcalc.org although most are in Spanish, reflecting the greater use of calculators for engineering in Latin America.

[Thomas Klemm]

(10-30-2024 08:31 PM)Johnh Wrote:  I'd like to test the water to ask if anyone here is interested in programs for structural engineering?

Where else would you want to publish such programs?
Don't ask yourself if there is interest here.
Write about something that interests you.

Just a few thoughts:

• Make it easy for the reader: with any obstacle, you may lose them.
• Write an introduction describing the topic as a teaser.
• Use LaTeX for mathematical formulas.
• Publish programs as text in code blocks: we can view a printable version if we want to read or copy it.
• Feel free to insert or attach additional representations (images, raw data, ...).
• Provide examples: they help us understand and verify the program.
• Make sure that input and output are clearly distinguished.
• Add references if available.
• Learn from HP's manuals for inspiration.
  

To run programs, I often use simulators or emulators.
Some of them allow easy import or export.
If a program is short, I type it too.
But hundreds of lines, probably not.

My presentations are dull compared to what others do.
Also, I'm not as organized as others.
But a plain text file like uprop.hp42s can be copied and pasted directly into Free42 in programming mode.

That's why I use this format for HP-42S programs.
And then for the voyagers, the format used by Torsten Manz's excellent HP-15C simulator.
This format is also used in JRPN.

Here's a simple example as a template:

---

Area of a Circle

The formula for the area of a circle is:

\(
A=\pi r^2
\)

This is a program for the HP-42S:

Code:

00 { 11-Byte Prgm }
01▸LBL "AREA"
02 X↑2
03 PI
04 ×
05 END

Example

14
XEQ "AREA"

615.7522

This is a similar program for the HP-15C:

Code:

   001 { 42 21 11 } f LBL A
   002 {    43 11 } g x^2
   003 {    43 26 } g PI
   004 {       20 } *
   005 {    43 32 } g RTN

Example

.55
GSB A

0.9503

References

• HP-41 Owner's Handbook and Programming Guide pp 109
  

[carey]

Thank you Thomas for taking the time to put together this wonderful advice about publishing RPN code!