Calculator: This is not the classic desktop version of calc.exe

[dori4n]

This is not the classic Desktop version of calc.exe, but the UWP/Metro/Modern UI version from the Windows Store as provided since the availability of that store with Windows 8.0.
More specifically, this is not the fast, performant, and quickly starting version of the Windows Calculator, like it was present up until Windows 8.1/Server 2012 R2. Appropriate code commit history that would include it is missing.

The UWP version has comparatively long startup times (often longer than that of a web browser, even), and, depending on system security configuration (hint: Exploit Mitigation settings in the Windows Security Center), fails to start entirely. The old classic desktop version has no such limitations, is generally faster at all operations, and consumes less memory. It also has more interesting code to look at, because efficient use of memory and CPU cycles still mattered when it was around.

Related: #105, #161

[alexdresko]

Perf PRs are welcome, @NightmareJoker2.

[artptr]

It also has more interesting code to look at, because efficient use of memory and CPU cycles still mattered when it was around.

They utilize the old calc.exe's code: https://github.com/Microsoft/calculator/blob/master/src/CalcManager/CEngine/scifunc.cpp

[pehsa]

That would be nice if we get the source of the old calc.exe, because of the used UWP UI we don't able to easily port the software to Linux/Unix

[JAremko]

That would be nice if we get the source of the old calc.exe, because of the used UWP UI we don't able to easily port the software to Linux/Unix

I bet we can make it work with ncurses.

:drooling_face:

[lzzy12]

@JAremko how about using something like QT?

[JAremko]

@lzzy Dunno. I want to run Windows calculator in windowless way (inside terminal)
Besides. Won't using QT make a couple k executable into like a multi megabyte beast? :thinking:

cc @c0deum

[lzzy12]

@JAremko it doesn't work like that.. it's just a couple of kBs because it uses other dynamically linked libraries (which in fact are huge in size) which are shipped with Windows. You can do that with QT as well.

[MicrosoftIssueBot]

This is your friendly Microsoft Issue Bot. I've seen this issue come in and have gone to tell a human about it.

[MovGP0]

I don't see an issue with open sourcing only the recent version of the calculator. Part of the point is to show how to design an UWP app and get feedback and help for further development.

A old version of the calculator would not provide this purpose.

[MarcAnt01]

This isn't the right place to submit this kind of request. Classic calculator is a totally different apps and Microsoft has no advantage in making a discontinued version public.

[pehsa]

@MarcAnt01 Say that to the DOS 1.1 and DOS 2.0

[MarcAnt01]

You all are going too OT, hope Microsoft team will close this issue and lock this pointless discussion

[mcooley]

We know that lots of people are interested in classic UI and code. As mentioned in #161, making older versions of calculator available isn't something we're working on right now, since we want to focus on improvements in this repo.

If there are specific problems with the current version (launch performance, crashes on launch, etc.) please file separate issues with more details so we can investigate further.