In this step–by–step guide, learn how to build a Simple calculator from the ground up using HTML and CSS. This tutorial is perfect for novice web developers!
As a beginner in web development, you can understand the basics of HTML and CSS by creating a simple calculator. This project will allow you to incorporate functionality into a user interface by using JavaScript.
A calculator is an essential tool for users even if they know how to properly perform basic operations such as addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division. Having a HTML calculator is useful when it comes to doing some fast math. In this guide, we will walk through the process of constructing a calculator from scratch using HTML and CSS.
Introduction to making a simple calculator
Let’s start making a simple calculator, step-by-step, using HTML and CSS.
To follow this tutorial, you will need the following:
- A basic understanding of HTML and CSS
- A code editor such as Visual Studio Code or Sublime Text
HTML is a markup language used to create web pages. It is used to define the structure of a web page, such as the headings, paragraphs, and images. CSS is a style sheet language used to control the appearance of web pages. It is used to change the font, color, and layout of a web page.
A code editor is a software application that is used to write and edit code. It provides features such as syntax highlighting, auto-completion, and debugging tools. If you do not have a basic understanding of HTML and CSS, I recommend that you take a beginner’s course on these languages before following this tutorial.
Once you have a basic understanding of HTML and CSS, you can download a code editor such as Visual Studio Code or Sublime Text. These editors are free and open source, and they are available for Windows, Mac, and Linux.
Read Also: Pure CSS Social Media Icons With Tool-tip Hover Effect
Source Code for Simple Calculator
Step 1
To get started, we will first need to create a basic HTML file. In this file, we will include the main structure for our calculator.
We will start by creating a div element and giving it the class of container. This div will act as a container for our calculator.
Next, we will add buttons and an input field to the calculator. We will use the button element to create the buttons, and the input element to create the input field.
After creating the files just paste the following codes into your file. Make sure to save your HTML document with a .html extension, so that it can be properly viewed in a web browser.
This is the basic structure of our calculator using HTML, and now we can move on to styling it using CSS.
<!DOCTYPE html>
<html lang="en">
 <head>
  <title>Home</title>
  <meta charset="UTF-8" />
  <meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width" />
  <link rel="stylesheet" href="styles.css" />
 </head>
 <body>
 <div class="container">
  <fieldset id="container">
    <form name="calculator">
      <input id="display" type="text" name="display" readonly>
      <input class="button digits" type="button" value="7" onclick="calculator.display.value += '7'">
      <input class="button digits" type="button" value="8" onclick="calculator.display.value += '8'">
      <input class="button digits" type="button" value="9" onclick="calculator.display.value += '9'">
      <input class="button mathButtons" type="button" value="+" onclick="calculator.display.value += ' + '">
      <br>
      <input class="button digits" type="button" value="4" onclick="calculator.display.value += '4'">
      <input class="button digits" type="button" value="5" onclick="calculator.display.value += '5'">
      <input class="button digits" type="button" value="6" onclick="calculator.display.value += '6'">
      <input class="button mathButtons" type="button" value="-" onclick="calculator.display.value += ' - '">
      <br>
      <input class="button digits" type="button" value="1" onclick="calculator.display.value += '1'">
      <input class="button digits" type="button" value="2" onclick="calculator.display.value += '2'">
      <input class="button digits" type="button" value="3" onclick="calculator.display.value += '3'">
      <input class="button mathButtons" type="button" value="x" onclick="calculator.display.value += ' * '">
      <br>
      <input id="clearButton" class="button" type="button" value="C" onclick="calculator.display.value = ''">
      <input class="button digits" type="button" value="0" onclick="calculator.display.value += '0'">
      <input class="button mathButtons" type="button" value="=" onclick="calculator.display.value = eval(calculator.display.value)">
      <input class="button mathButtons" type="button" value="/" onclick="calculator.display.value += ' / '">
    </form>
  </fieldset>
</div>
 </body>
</html>Step 2
Once the basic HTML structure of the calculator is in place, we can then add styling to it using CSS. CSS, or Cascading Style Sheets, is a language that describes the presentation of a document written in a markup language like HTML. CSS allows us to control the visual appearance of a website, including things like layout, color, and typography.
Here are some of the things we can do with CSS to style our calculator:
- Set the background color of the calculator.
- Set the font family and size of the text in the calculator.
- Change the color of the buttons and the input field.
- Add borders and margins to the buttons and the input field.
- Center the calculator on the page.
Next, we will create our CSS file. In this section, we will use CSS to style our calculator. We will give it a basic layout, change the font and background color, and add hover effects to the buttons.
To give our calculator an upgraded presentation, we can create a CSS file with the name of styles.css and paste the given codes into our CSS file. Remember that we must create a file with the .css extension.
body {
background-color: #424242;
font-family: Tahoma;
}
.container {
display: flex;
align-items: center;
justify-content: center;
height: 100vh;
width: 100vw;
}
#container {
width: 200px;
padding: 8px 8px 20px 8px;
margin: 20px auto;
background-color: #ABABAB;
border-radius: 4px;
border-top: 2px solid #FFF;
border-right: 2px solid #FFF;
border-bottom: 2px solid #C1C1C1;
border-left: 2px solid #C1C1C1;
box-shadow: -3px 3px 7px rgba(0, 0, 0, .6), inset -100px 0px 100px rgba(255, 255, 255, .5);
}
#display {
display: block;
margin: 15px auto;
height: 42px;
width: 174px;
padding: 0 10px;
border-radius: 4px;
border-top: 2px solid #C1C1C1;
border-right: 2px solid #C1C1C1;
border-bottom: 2px solid #FFF;
border-left: 2px solid #FFF;
background-color: #FFF;
box-shadow: inset 0px 0px 10px #030303, inset 0px -20px 1px rgba(150, 150, 150, .2);
font-size: 28px;
color: #666;
text-align: right;
font-weight: 400;
}
.button {
display: inline-block;
margin: 2px;
width: 42px;
height: 42px;
font-size: 16px;
font-weight: bold;
border-radius: 4px;
}
.mathButtons {
margin: 2px 2px 6px 2px;
color: #FFF;
text-shadow: -1px -1px 0px #44006F;
background-color: #434343;
border-top: 2px solid #C1C1C1;
border-right: 2px solid #C1C1C1;
border-bottom: 2px solid #181818;
border-left: 2px solid #181818;
box-shadow: 0px 0px 2px #030303, inset 0px -20px 1px #2E2E2E;
}
.digits {
color: #181818;
text-shadow: 1px 1px 0px #FFF;
background-color: #EBEBEB;
border-top: 2px solid #FFF;
border-right: 2px solid #FFF;
border-bottom: 2px solid #C1C1C1;
border-left: 2px solid #C1C1C1;
border-radius: 4px;
box-shadow: 0px 0px 2px #030303, inset 0px -20px 1px #DCDCDC;
}
.digits:hover,
.mathButtons:hover,
#clearButton:hover {
background-color: #FFBA75;
box-shadow: 0px 0px 2px #FFBA75, inset 0px -20px 1px #FF8000;
border-top: 2px solid #FFF;
border-right: 2px solid #FFF;
border-bottom: 2px solid #AE5700;
border-left: 2px solid #AE5700;
}
#clearButton {
color: #FFF;
text-shadow: -1px -1px 0px #44006F;
background-color: #D20000;
border-top: 2px solid #FF8484;
border-right: 2px solid #FF8484;
border-bottom: 2px solid #800000;
border-left: 2px solid #800000;
box-shadow: 0px 0px 2px #030303, inset 0px -20px 1px #B00000;
} Final Output of simple calculator
Conclusion
In this guide, we have gone through the process of creating a simple calculator using HTML, CSS, and JavaScript. We started by setting up the HTML structure and adding buttons and an input field. Next, we used CSS to style the calculator, giving it a basic layout, font and background color, and hover effects. Finally, we added functionality with JavaScript, allowing the user to input numbers and perform arithmetic operations.
Creating a calculator is a great way to get started with web development. Furthermore, it allows you to practice using HTML, CSS, and JavaScript in a simple project. By following the steps outlined in this guide, you can create your own calculator and make changes to it to meet your needs. Whether you’re a beginner or an experienced developer, creating a calculator is a fun and rewarding project that can help you improve your web development skills.
In conclusion, building a calculator from scratch can seem like a daunting task. Furthermore, by breaking it down into smaller, manageable steps, you can make the process much easier. Don’t be afraid to experiment and make changes to your calculator until it meets your needs.
That’s a wrap!
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