- Gzipped Tar format: veryinteresting.tar.gz
- Zip format: veryinteresting.zip
- veryinteresting.cgi
- the actual program that processes the data from the form.
- veryinteresting.html
- the HTML form that people will use to enter the loan amount, loan term, etc.
- The README file (README.veryinteresting)
- contains information on how to get started using the program. READ THIS before you get started!
[Demo] [Who's using?] [System Requirements] [Download!] [Bug Fix Announcements] [Changelog] [License]
Program Summary
[Version 1.5 Released 09/22/2002]VeryInteresting is a simple loan calculator. If a user enters a loan amount, an interest rate, the length of a loan, and the payment frequency, the calculator will show the monthly payment and the total interest that will be paid if the loan is paid to term. For monthly payments, it will also show an amortization table. This can be an exciting activity for students studying simple interest, as they can quickly change the number of years a loan is for or the interest rate and see the dramatic differences this makes in both the payment amount and the total amount paid in interest for a loan. If your local currency is not "dollars," you may choose from £, ¥, and ¢ for the symbol to show after monetary amounts.
Working Demo
There is a working version of VeryInteresting online for you to try out. If you've gotten VeryInteresting to work, send me the address of your
website and I'll post a link to it.
Several other sites using VeryInteresting can be found on this Google search.
An excellent integration job at Politica Boricua.com. Not only did they integrate it into an existing PHP-based site, but also translated it into Spanish.
MortgageStart.com is using VeryInteresting for their Monthly, Bi-weekly, and Mortgage Amortization calculators. VERY nice customization job!
UALR Arkansas Small Business Development Center - Loan Calculator
Atlanta-Midtown Home Listings
Go Boating, America!
The web server where this script will be installed must have Perl 5.000 or higher. Scripts that send email require that "Sendmail" or "qmail-inject" be available on Unix/Linux-type systems. Scripts that send email under Windows-based systems require use of the Socket Perl module (Socket.pm). All scripts may require the Perl CGI module, CGI.pm .
This script is NOT supported on the following web hosting providers:
Tripod.com
Angelfire.com
Lycos.com
Also, sorry, but the scripts are not supported under mod_perl, PerlEx, or speedy_cgi as I don't have any way to test them in that environment. :-(
You must be able to execute cgi programs on your web server. If
you're not sure whether you have permission to do this, or are not sure
how to configure the files, please ask your system administrator, or
check the web pages of your web hosting provider for Help or Support
information. For a free web hosting provider who supports CGI scripts, or
low-cost web hosting providers, you can try looking at
the "Some Places to Host
your Website" page I've put together.
The web server must support both the GET and POST request methods. (Ask your
hosting provider about this if you're not sure.)
Please remember: you get what you pay for, and free web hosting
services are often worth what you pay for them.
But first, the obligatory plea for funding. :-)
All the files you need are contained in these packages. Download it
in the format you wish. If you have MS Windows, there is a program called WinZip (available
at TuCows) which will
uncompress and de-archive tar/gz files as well as Zip files. The package contains the following files: After a major release, you may get one or two messages a week.
Mostly, though, I'm afraid it's less than once a month.
You may also sign up for announcements about other scripts on
the
main Scripts for Educators Mailing List page.
This list is ONLY for announcements specifically about VeryInteresting:
(Scroll down if you don't want to read this part. You
do NOT have to give money to download these scripts!)
Like
the scripts? Give me a dollar, or say thanks!
If you like the scripts, you can send
me cash through PayPal, Amazon, or through snail mail
or you can show
your support in other ways. Remember: only about one
out of 100 people who download the scripts even says
"Thanks." :-)
On a Unix-type system, if you have console or command prompt access, you
may unzip the tar.gz file by typing 'gunzip < veryinteresting.tar.gz | tar -xvf
-'. If you're not very familiar with Unix, you may want to ask someone
who is to help you. The latest version of Stuffit for the Mac will also
handle tar.gz files.
I strongly recommend that you sign up here for update and bug fix
announcements about this script. I will not spam you with advertising: I
just want to make sure you have the latest fixes. :-)
The program will send a confirmation message to your email address when
you sign up. In order to get on the announcement list, you MUST click on
the confirmation link contained in that email message. This is to
protect you from someone signing you up as a joke, and to protect me
from being accused of spamming. Since update announcements are sometimes
few and far between, sometimes people forget that they've subscribed and
report me for sending junk mail. Luckily, the system logs the address,
time, and date of everyone who signs up so that I can prove I'm only
sending to people who asked for it. :-)