NumEx (Number Expression Calculator)

A lightweight command-line utility for number base conversion written in Rust.

Overview

NumEx is a simple yet practical tool designed to convert numbers between different bases (hexadecimal, decimal, etc.) with an intuitive syntax. It was developed as a learning project for the Rust programming language while solving a real-world need.

Usage

nmx <NUMBER>

Where <NUMBER> can be:

• A decimal number (e.g., 42, -123)
• A hexadecimal number (e.g., 0x2A, 0xffff)

Type nmx -h to see how to use nmx:

❯ nmx -h
Usage: nmx [OPTIONS] <NUMBER>

Arguments:
  <NUMBER>

Options:
  -m, --monochrome  Display result without colors
  -h, --help        Print help
  -V, --version     Print version

Comparison with Alternatives

While similar tools exist, NumEx focuses on simplicity and intuitive syntax:

bc (Basic Calculator)

echo "ibase=16; FFF"|bc    # Traditional bc approach
nmx 0xfff                # NumEx equivalent

Benefits

• More intuitive syntax
• Less typing required
• No need to remember complex notation
• Straightforward command-line interface

Project Goals

• Provide a user-friendly number conversion utility
• Serve as a practical Rust learning project
• Simplify common number base conversion tasks

Installation

Ensure you have Rust installed on your system. Then clone this repository and build using cargo:

cargo build --release

The binary will be available at target/release/nmx.

Install with cargo like:

cargo install --path .

Examples

Converting hexadecimal number 0xcafe:

❯ nmx 0xcafe
Dec:    51966
Hex:    0xcafe
Bin:    0b1100101011111110

Error Handling

The program will display an error message if:

• The input number format is invalid
• The number is too large or small for a 64-bit signed integer
• The input contains invalid characters

Dependencies

• clap (4.5.39) - Command line argument parsing
• anyhow (1.0.98) - Error handling
• regex (1.11.1) - Pattern matching for number validation
• colored (3.0.0) - Terminal coloring utilities

License

MIT License