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Microsoft Open-Sources Windows Calculator (betanews.com)

Posted by msmash on from the marching-forward dept.

Microsoft said today it has made the source code for its Windows calculator available on GitHub. The company said it hopes to work with contributors to improve the user experience of Windows calculator. In a statement, Dave Grochocki and Howard Wolosky of Microsoft said: Today, we're excited to announce that we are open sourcing Windows Calculator on GitHub under the MIT License. This includes the source code, build system, unit tests, and product roadmap. Our goal is to build an even better user experience in partnership with the community. We are encouraging your fresh perspectives and increased participation to help define the future of Calculator. As developers, if you would like to know how different parts of the Calculator app work, easily integrate Calculator logic or UI into your own applications, or contribute directly to something that ships in Windows, now you can. Calculator will continue to go through all usual testing, compliance, security, quality processes, and Insider flighting, just as we do for our other applications.

7 of 292 comments (clear)

  1. Port to Linux by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    I hope this program gets ported to Linux now that it's open source.

    1. Re:Port to Linux by jellomizer · · Score: 5, Funny

      I see this as a rather lame attempt to seem Open Source Friendly by Microsoft. It is like saying you are supporting the homeless in your city, but making sure the dumpster for your cafeteria is unlocked.

      --
      If something is so important that you feel the need to post it on the internet... It probably isn't that important.
  2. im sure it was a warm reception by nimbius · · Score: 5, Insightful

    microsoft: we are committed to open source, here is some software we released as "opened source"
    internet: yeah this license isnt really open source
    microsoft: We have heard the feedback and are continuing our awesome open source initiative.
    internet: its cool. since you spent 40 years trying to force people to use your crappy software, we came up with other open source tools that all either do the same thing, or do it much better than yours.
    microsoft: Here is calculator. It is a small but advanced tool you can use
    internet: Linux has about 34 different calculators already. and they run in windows too.
    microsoft: Yes yes, you are welcome. finally, A calculator that is open source. now if youll excuse me, ive only got 2 plays left on my zune copy of mmm-bop and id like to enjoy them.

    --
    Good people go to bed earlier.
  3. Thin edge of wedge? by mykepredko · · Score: 5, Interesting

    While I agree with the general consensus that releasing the source to calculator is underwhelming, I'm wondering if there is more to the plan here.

    Maybe Microsoft has a long term goal of making more apps open-source, to help with the support workload or to develop more Microsoft developers and maybe find some UI designers with fresh approaches.

    --
    Mimetics Inc. Twitter
  4. Re:Link was at the very end of the article by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Informative

    I found this interesting, from the readme:

    This project collects usage data and sends it to Microsoft to help improve our products and services. Read our privacy statement to learn more. Telemetry is disabled in development builds by default, and can be enabled with the SEND_TELEMETRY build flag.

    The OS's built-in calculator app collects telemetry? Really??

  5. Check the source. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Interesting

    What makes it so slow?

  6. Re:Because they want it to be better! by JackieBrown · · Score: 5, Informative

    I use notepad to remove formatting from text copied somewhere else.

    That and if I don't have time to wait for a word processor to open.