diff --git a/calculator.rb b/calculator.rb
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..245a1f7
--- /dev/null
+++ b/calculator.rb
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+# arrays to store acceptable inputs for different user responses
+good_operators = ["add", "+", "subtract", "-", "multiply", "*", "divide", "/", "**", "^", "exponents", "%", "modulo", "remainder"]
+good_num_types = ["integer", "float"]
+
+# method to make code a little more readable
+def spacing
+  puts "------------------------------------------"
+end
+
+# method to check user input for specific strings that determine how numbers are evaluated
+def input_check input_type, input
+  until input_type.include?(input) do
+    puts "I'm sorry. I'm unfamiliar with that."
+    puts "Please try again from one of the options listed above."
+    input = gets.chomp.downcase
+    spacing
+  end
+  return input
+end
+
+# method to convert number inputs into float or integer
+def float_or_integer type
+  num_input = nil
+  if type == "integer"
+    num_input = Integer (Float gets.chomp rescue nil) rescue nil
+  elsif type == "float"
+    num_input = Float gets.chomp rescue nil
+  end
+end
+
+# method to check user number input to confirm they gave a valid entry
+def num_check num, number_type
+  until num.class == Integer || num.class == Float
+    puts "I'm sorry that doesn't seem to be a number."
+    puts "Do you have some else in mind?"
+    num = float_or_integer(number_type)
+    spacing
+  end
+  return num
+end
+
+# program introduction
+puts "Hello! Welcome to this basic calculator."
+spacing # for aesthetic purposes, they are scattered throughout
+
+# giving user the options
+puts "With any two numbers, you can do some arithmetic here, such as:"
+puts "+ (or add), - (or subtract), * (or multiply), / (or divide),"
+puts "^ or ** (or exponents), and % (or modulo)"
+spacing
+
+# starting to prompt user for inputs
+puts "are you planning to use an integer or a float?"
+num_type = gets.chomp.downcase # 1. integer or float?
+spacing
+
+# invoking method to check number type input
+num_type = input_check good_num_types, num_type
+
+
+# prompt for input 2
+puts "what operation would you like to do?"
+operator = gets.chomp.downcase # 2. what math are we doing?
+spacing
+# invoking check for operation availibility
+operator = input_check good_operators, operator
+
+# getting first number
+puts "what is the first number?"
+num_1 = float_or_integer num_type
+spacing
+# invoking number check 1
+num_1 = num_check num_1, num_type
+
+# getting second number
+puts "what is the second number?"
+num_2 = float_or_integer num_type
+spacing
+# same as above, number check 2
+num_2 = num_check num_2, num_type
+
+
+# conditional to do the maths
+if operator == "add" || operator == "+"
+  answer = num_1 + num_2
+  puts "#{num_1} + #{num_2} = #{answer}"
+elsif operator == "subtract" || operator == "-"
+  answer = num_1 - num_2
+  puts "#{num_1} - #{num_2} = #{answer}"
+elsif operator == "multiply" || operator == "*"
+  answer = num_1 * num_2
+  puts "#{num_1} * #{num_2} = #{answer}"
+elsif num_2 != 0 && (operator == "divide" || operator == "/")
+  answer = num_1 / num_2
+  puts "#{num_1} / #{num_2} = #{answer}"
+  # first divide case to exclude dividing by 0
+elsif num_2 == 0 && (operator == "divide" || operator == "/")
+  puts "I'm sorry. We can't divide by 0."
+  puts "#{num_1} / #{num_2} = undefined."
+  # second divide case to deal with division by 0
+elsif operator == "**" || operator == "^" || operator == "exponents"
+  answer = num_1 ** num_2
+  puts "#{num_1} ^ #{num_2} = #{answer}"
+elsif operator == "%" || operator == "modulo"
+  answer = num_1 % num_2
+  puts "#{num_1} % #{num_2} = #{answer}"
+end