What edge cases should you handle in a calculator?
Division by zero (show Error), multiple decimals (prevent), chaining operations (calculate before setting new op), keyboard support, and overflow for very large numbers. Also handle the initial state (display 0).
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More FAQs in How to Build a Calculator in an Interview
Track current input, previous value, and operation. Number buttons append to current. Operation buttons store the operation and previous value. Equals performs the calculation. Clear resets everything. Use a grid layout for buttons.
Check if the divisor is 0 before dividing. If so, display 'Error' or 'Cannot divide by zero' instead of performing the calculation. Do not let JavaScript produce Infinity; handle it explicitly.
When a new operation is set and there is already a pending operation, calculate the pending operation first (calculate()), then store the result as the new previous and set the new operation. This allows chaining like 5 + 3 * 2.
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