This is my first C++ project, built while learning the fundamentals of C++. The goal of this project was not only to build a calculator but also to understand variables, functions, switch statements, loops, and references through practical implementation.

🧮 C++ Calculator

📌 Project Name

C++ Calculator

Version: 1.0

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📌 What it does

This is a menu-driven calculator built using C++. It performs the following arithmetic operations:

• Addition
• Subtraction
• Multiplication
• Division

The program continues running until the user chooses to exit.

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📌 Concepts Used

• The entire project is written in C++.
• Functions are used to avoid writing the same code repeatedly.
• Two kinds of repetition are demonstrated in this project:
  • Code repetition: Instead of writing the code for taking two numbers inside every switch case, a separate function (TakeTwoNumbers) is created and reused.
  • Program repetition: The calculator keeps running until the user chooses to exit. This is achieved using a while loop.
• A switch statement is used to perform different operations based on the user's choice.
• An if statement is used in the division case to prevent division by zero.
• Variables are initialized before use. Initializing variables avoids unpredictable (garbage) values and makes the program behave reliably.

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📌 How to Compile

After making changes to the code, save the file (Ctrl + S) in VS Code.

Open the integrated terminal and run:

g++ src/main.cpp -o calculator.exe

If the command executes without any errors, the program has been compiled successfully.

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📌 How to Run

In the terminal, type:

.\calculator.exe

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📚 What I Learned

Through this project, I learned:

• How C++ source code is compiled into an executable (.exe) file.
• The difference between source code and executable files.
• How functions help avoid code repetition.
• How passing variables by reference allows a function to modify the original variables.
• How switch statements make menu-driven programs easier to write.
• How while loops allow a program to keep running until a condition becomes false.
• Why variables should always be initialized before they are used.
• How to compile and run a C++ program using g++.

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👩‍💻 Author

Vaishnavi Singh