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Messages - Galandros

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211
TI Z80 / Re: Geometry Wars Update
« on: June 13, 2010, 10:49:20 am »
Geometry Wars is a game that needs lot of polishing and very challenging to code it on a z80 calculator series because of memory and processing power limitations.
You are doing a great job and is worth the pain because it will give a impressive shooter game for calculator. I think it should be featured and be great candidate for POTY. Geometry Wars is one of the most epic shooters I have seen.

I know Geometry Wars in Nintendo DS so maybe it is different but will you implement simple helpers, bombs and minerals?

212
Other Calculators / Re: Self-Modifying Code (SMC)
« on: June 13, 2010, 10:22:37 am »
Thanks for the clarification Galandros! :D
userMem (address $95D5 if memory serves well).
It's $9D95. :)
aAH thanks for the carification Galandros ^^
Edited the post. I was doing from memory and I did not have the time to check it.
Thank you both. It is good to know that it was clarifying. ^^ I hope BuilderBoy got it, too.
Maybe we can link the post for other time or even make a topic with only it, if it is needed.

I occasionally use it.  Sometimes, its for speed considerations, sometimes for size, other times for simplicity.  Its not too difficult to copy small code segments from apps into ram and then execute them there so compatibility is usually not an issue.  One smc I really like to use is modifying (ix+0) and change the 0 to other values to really quickly read and write to the nth element of a list without using any extra registers.  I did this in Pyoro for the "closest block" algorithm.
That is a use I haven't seen often for SMC. And is really useful.
I documented quite some examples SMC here: http://wikiti.brandonw.net/index.php?title=Z80_Optimization#Self_Modifying_Code
I will add that one too.

213
News / Re: KermMartian updates SourceCoder to 2.5
« on: June 13, 2010, 09:55:22 am »
Curious, it is the second news on Omnimaga where my nickname appears and are both related to web tools for calculator stuff.
The update on Source Coder is really neat. My second wave of reports for the SC2 will be posted on Cemetech when I have a dead time.

214
Other Calculators / Re: Self-Modifying Code (SMC)
« on: June 12, 2010, 05:29:37 pm »
I will only start using SMC when I need speed.
Not using SMC keeps compatibility with APPS and is much more reusable code for other projects (like OSes or other APPS).


I see some confusion between SMC (Self Modifying Code) and write-back on Omnimaga forums. Not only on this topic. I will try to differentiate them.

SMC is when code will simply modify some other code.
Only possible when the code is in RAM so it is easily changed like normal data. The modified code is temporary. (true for 99% of cases) So very rarely if ever SMC needs write-back for the program to work as expected.

Write-back is writing the "copy" back to the "original" program.
This happens because the assembly programs you run is not the original but a copy in a address equated as userMem (address $9D95). For example, in the end of the program data resides the save game data. In order to the program work as expected and your precious progress be kept you need some additional code (it finds out the position of the original program and copies the data back to it) or a shell with write-back option that does the job for the coder.

Note that SMC and write-back are independent. But generally data needs write-back and SMC do not.
If I made a mistake or was not clear, please point out, no one is perfect.

EDIT: bonus example
Mmm i like programs that use SMC for highscores ^^ It makes the appvar space less cluttered :P
It is correctly write-back and not self modifying code. You are modifying some data of a highscore, not code and you need that is copied back to the original program.
(curiously you can hard code high score data into code but is very rare and not the best way to store this kind of data)
EDIT: Oh, but if you are talking about Axe Parser, it is possible you are using both SMC and write-back.

215
General Calculator Help / Re: CalcSys
« on: June 12, 2010, 05:10:59 pm »
I have seen people with no programming knowledge at all and find out stuff with hex editing I wouldn't even remember to try to do. (hex edit maps files and saves of a PC game! He discovered things that only the programmers of the game would know to use)
It is just a question of knowing/find positions (addresses) to change numbers. Know how to do a search and interpret numbers. Sometimes requires trial and error but depending on what you are trying to achieve can be fun or hazardous if you screw something.
A mind open to learning will discover bit flags, all kinds of data structures, through this amusing way.

And calcsys saves many work on going through the VAT, for example. I use it like a hex editor with tools to easily go to programs content.

EDIT:
I almost forgot I have also used CalcSys for some ports viewing.

Thanks for all the support, I never thought this would get such attention.
Well, sending messages wirelessly with calculators has some impact and is a very cool thing to see. Imagine this on math classes (or exams). *evil*

216
TI Z80 / Re: SourceCoder 2.5: Updates and Features
« on: June 12, 2010, 04:28:16 am »
Nice features, they look neat and will be of great use.

217
Interesting program.
I did some TI-BASIC programs that resemble those features.
Maybe I should try to rewrite the program to be faster. And there is useful assembly code for helping out the task. (like a number to string converter)

218
TI-BASIC / Re: Extra tokens and token picker (with grayscale)
« on: June 11, 2010, 04:30:09 am »
Wait, why am I getting credit?
Because I used the reordered extra characters in this: http://ourl.ca/5906

219
General Calculator Help / Re: CalcSys
« on: June 11, 2010, 04:27:44 am »
I use for lock and unlocking programs. And hex editing memory for finding TI-BASIC tokens and I revealed all the characters of Notefolio APPS frlom TI.

I think I can easily convert a program to an appvar... Never tested it.
And there are some funny stuff to do like disassembly of the TI-OS oncalc, see your VAT, etc.

220
News / Re: June posting record broken in 666*1251 seconds
« on: June 09, 2010, 07:01:25 pm »
You should wait for 666*1337 mark, er, record. Cool to know anyway.

It's all due to the great participation of everyone in the forum. Congratulations to everyone and to celebrate let's continue, wait, I mean, increase steadily the overall posts, progress and releases. ;)

221
TI-BASIC / Re: Optimized Routine: Set Up Friendly Graph Window
« on: June 09, 2010, 10:15:11 am »
Maybe ZPrevious could be used for further optimization.
Checked. It is not great use for restoring graphics setting after more than 1 command that changes the graph settings.

It can be used during your mathematical equations view, though.

222
TI-BASIC / Re: Extra tokens and token picker (with grayscale)
« on: June 09, 2010, 09:23:13 am »
Saved one more byte. ;D And more important, I will upload to ticalc today. I just need to lock the programs for not bloating user menu of edit programs.
EDIT: uploaded, pending now.

I took some time because of study and sport competition. So progress on calc stuff is going to be relatively slow for a while during summer. :(

223
Nice the shell is getting even stable.

I will try to come later with a shell extension (I saw some like this and I don't remember the name you gave to this extensions) that makes DoorsCS look like a CrunchyOS/Ion shell or MirageOS shell for those that prefer that instead of mouse navigation.

224
Miscellaneous / Re: I'm sure Kevin can appreciate this effort
« on: June 09, 2010, 08:20:44 am »
Funny, I saw that topic on wikipedia too. I wish it was standard on writing. ;D

But irony in literature is normally masked on purpose for the author not being arrested.

225
Since in the z80 calculators there aren't folders unless you use some shell like DoorsCS, I prefix the name of my TI-BASIC programs for easier access.

Here are my prefixes:
A - easy access to execute because they appear first in the programs listing
G - game under development
R - reusable subroutine in a program (generally to Rcl them in a program)
N - notes or nifty programs
U - utilities
T - tools (meh, ends to be the same as utilities)
Z - list in the end of the program list but before Theta. For data programs or subroutines of large programs (games mostly)
Theta - list in the end of the program list

About general organization of programs I always keep a A, A1, A2, A3 programs for experimenting TI-BASIC code and optimization of parts of code.
About groups, I keep backup copies prefixed with CS and suffixed with a number (suggestion from here in the forums).

Now it is your turn.

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