HP 35s Instruction Manual page 2

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HP 35s Using HP 35s Flags
What are flags?
Ships use flags to signal special conditions. For example a ship might raise a flag as a distress signal, or to signal that
an admiral is on board. Computers and calculators also use flags to signal special conditions. For example a flag could
be used on the HP 35s to mark that financial calculations are being carried out in Canadian dollars, not in US dollars.
Flags can be raised (or set) or else they can be lowered (or cleared). They provide the answers to simple yes/no
questions. Wherever a question like this needs to be asked, especially in a program or in the display, a flag can be used.
An Example of using a Flag to Display a Message
An easy example of flag use is to display some simple message, for example a reminder.
Example 1: A student who uses an HP 35s wants to display a reminder to complete Tuesday's assignment.
Solution: Set flag 1, which will show up in the display.
First the user must press ¹· to display the flag operations menu.
Then the user must press 1 to select the SF (Set Flag) operation.
Now the user needs to press 1 again to make the SF operation act on flag 1.
Answer: Flag 1 is now set, and a small number 1 is displayed at the top of the calculator screen. The small "1" looks
like an exclamation point and reminds the student that something important needs to be done. Alternatively
flag 2 could be used, as a reminder of Tuesday's assignment, as "two" sounds like "Tue".
Example 2: Once Tuesday's assignment has been completed, the student no longer needs to display the 1.
Solution: Clear flag 1, so it will no longer show up on the screen.
Again the user must press ¹· to display the flag operations menu.
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HP 35s Using HP 35s Flags - Version 1.0