Formula
Using the Formula (formerly Total) element, you can build any formula for your Calculator. For that, you should add available Fields and Operators by clicking on them. Watch this in-depth video on how to use the Formula element.
Element Section
The Formula element contains the following attributes in the Element section:
Title - Give the description of the total calculation
Calculator Formula area - Create your own formula for the calculator
Available Operators - This field contains mathematical operators and functions that can be used in the formula
Available Fields - This field contains all elements as colored letters of the created calculator form with their ordered IDs.
Settings Section
And it has the following attributes in the Settings section:
Show the legacy formula view - switches the mode of the formule editor to legacy (old) view
Hidden by Default - The element will be hidden until a corresponding condition is met
Calculate hidden by default - If any case hides the element: via the Hidden by Default setting or hidden by some condition, the element's default value (if it is set) will be counted in the formula
Additional Classes - Add extra classes to the HTML elements to further style changes
Add a measuring Unit
This setting allows you to add a measuring unit (Ω, cm, kg, inch, etc.) to the field.
Unit Symbol - enter the unit symbol
Position - select the position where the symbol should be displayed relative to the number
Thousands separator - select the the symbol to
Number of decimals - indicate the number of decimals in the fractional part
Decimal separator - select the symbol to separate fractional part
Available Fields
Fields in Formula are shown as green letters. They are shown in alphabetical order based on their ID.
If you delete any field, the letters will stay the same:
Available Operators
You can see these available operators in the Formula element.
Basic Arithmetic Operators:
Addition (+): Combines two numbers to produce their sum. For example, 5 + 3 equals 8.
Subtraction (-): Subtracts one number from another to yield the difference. If you subtract 3 from 8, you get 5.
Division (/): Divides one number by another, resulting in the quotient. When you divide 10 by 2, the result is 5.
Multiplication (*): Multiplies two numbers, giving the product. 4 multiplied by 6 equals 24.
Modulo(%): It finds the remainder when one number is divided by another. 25%6=1 (1 - modulo).
Mathematical Methods:
round(x): This method returns the value of x rounded to the nearest integer. For instance, round(4.7) is equal to 5.
^pow(x, y): Calculates x raised to the power of y. If you evaluate pow(8, 2), you'll get 64.
√ sqrt(x): Computes the square root of x. The square root of 25 is sqrt(25) = 5.
abs(x): Yields the absolute (positive) value of x. For example, abs(-3.7) equals 3.7.
ceil(x): Rounds up x to the nearest integer. If you apply ceil(4.4), the result is 5.
floor(x): Rounds down x to the nearest integer. When you use floor(8.7), the outcome is 8.
Conditional Operators
Conditional operators are vital tools for making decisions based on conditions. They allow you to control the flow of your calculations.
IF: This is a fundamental conditional keyword. It enables you to execute a block of code if a specified condition is true. For example: if (x > 10) { }
IF ELSE: Extending the 'if' statement, 'if else' lets you define an alternative block of code to execute if the initial condition is false. It provides a way to branch your calculations based on different scenarios. For example: if (x > 10) { } else { }
Logical Operators
Logical operators are used to combine and manipulate conditions.
AND: Combines two conditions and evaluates to true only if both conditions are true.
OR: Combines two conditions and evaluates to true if at least one condition is true.
Less than (<) and Greater than (>): These operators compare two values and return true if the specified condition holds.
Not equal to (!=) and Equal to (==): These operators are used to test the equality or inequality of two values.
Formula Functions: MIN and MAX
The Cost Calculator Pro plugin includes several powerful functions that you can use within formulas to create dynamic and responsive calculations. Two of these functions are MIN and MAX, which are used to determine the smallest and largest numbers from a set of values, respectively.
MIN Function
The MIN function is used to find the smallest number in a given set of values. This can be useful in scenarios where you need to determine the minimum value among several options.
Syntax
Example
Suppose you have three numbers: 7, 13, and 21. Using the MIN function, you can find the smallest number among them:
In this case, the function will return 7, as it is the smallest number in the set.
MAX Function
The MAX function is used to find the largest number in a given set of values. This is useful when you need to determine the maximum value among several options.
Syntax
Example
Suppose you have three numbers: 7, 13, and 21. Using the MAX function, you can find the largest number among them:
In this case, the function will return 21, as it is the largest number in the set.
Practical Applications
Using MIN and MAX in a Cost Calculator
These functions can be particularly useful in cost calculations where you need to set limits or find optimal values. For example, if you have different pricing options based on quantity and you want to ensure the final cost reflects the minimum or maximum price, you can use MIN or MAX accordingly.
Example 1: Minimum Price Selection
You offer three different prices for a product based on the supplier. You want to use the lowest price available:
Example 2: Maximum Discount Selection
You have several discount options and you want to apply the largest discount available:
Conclusion
The MIN and MAX functions in the Cost Calculator Pro plugin are essential tools for creating flexible and accurate calculations. By understanding how to use these functions, you can enhance your cost calculations and ensure they meet your specific needs.
You can review the mathematical methods here to get more information. Note: All these methods are written with a Math prefix since they are objects inherited from the Math library.
Showing Formula Element
Let's see the example of the Formula element:
You can see numbers at the beginning of each line. This is to make creating long formulas much easier.
You can undo the last changes in the formula editor using the Ctrl/CMD+Z keys on their keyboard. It is also possible to select and copy a part of the formula with the cursor/mouse and select the whole via Ctrl/CMD+A or Ctrl/CMD+C keys on the keyboard.
Creating formulas in the total element using available operators and fields is not the only thing you can do with it. Below we will discuss this formula element’s condition features in more in-depth.
IF/ IF Else Statement
You can use conditions using the IF and IF ELSE statements. These tools help you handle various situations and set specific rules for your calculations.
IF Statements
The IF statement lets you tell the calculator what to do if a particular condition is met. For instance, you can use it to calculate discounts only if the total amount is greater than a certain value.
Example: IF(total > 100 *0.9 *1)
In this case, if the total is more than 100, a 10% discount will be applied; otherwise, it will display the value with no discount.
IF ELSE Statement
The IF ELSE statement adds another layer of logic. It allows you to set an alternative course of action if the initial condition isn't met.
Example: IF(total > 500 *0.1 *0.125)
Here, if the total is over 500, the calculator will multiply the value by 0.1; otherwise, it will multiply by 0.125.
Practical Example: Loan Calculator
Now, let's see the Loan Calculator which is built with a quantity, two range buttons, and total elements as a sample example. Here is the standard formula for calculating the loan amount:
And now we will create an if/else statement so that the total sum of a loan calculator should be higher than or equal to 500 like below:
So, according to the formula above, the loan amount will be always higher than or equal to 500. Please check the following pictures:
The result of the if statement:
The result of the else statement:
If you want to apply a separate if/else statement for each field and set a separate Total element for each statement. We recommend you to use the Summary Total formula to get the sum of all Total elements and to avoid a complex calculation process.
In the following example, different if/else statements were used for each Total element. And the Summary Total formula calculates the overall sum of these two Total elements:
Alternative Symbol
The Alternative Symbol option is available in order to display multiple Total fields with different calculations and symbols.
The inserted symbol in the Alternate Symbol field takes precedence over the currency symbol in the Settings menu.
The Alternative Symbol is displayed after pasting the symbol to the appropriate field.
The result:
If you are using the currency symbol in the Alternative Symbol field and want to integrate the Calculator with WooCommerce, then you have to consider whether WooCommerce supports that currency.
Comparing the Legacy and New Formula View
Legacy Formula View
The Old Formula looked like this:
There were long words for fields with ID. The element used to have limited mathematical operators. To put conditions if/ if else users needed to use a formula in Javascript style.
New Formula View
Now, the New Formula looks like this:
The view has become more user-friendly. There are green letters instead of long-tail words. There are more available operators, such as !=, = =, < >, etc. Now, users can add conditions with IF/ IF ELSE statements easily. It is possible to add letters and operators from the keyboard. When putting any letters not related to fields, they will be shown grey. There are lines to make creating long formulas much easier. Users can undo the last changes in the formula editor using the Ctrl/CMD+Z keys on their keyboard. It is possible to select and copy a part of the formula with the cursor/mouse and select the whole via Ctrl/CMD+A or Ctrl/CMD+C keys on the keyboard.
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