Author Topic: zStart - an app that runs on ram clears  (Read 342725 times)

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Offline ACagliano

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Re: zStart - an app that runs on ram clears
« Reply #210 on: May 17, 2011, 08:28:51 am »
Hey, guys. I have reason to believe that zStart's 'Run on RAM clear' might beat PTT. Can anyone confirm (I use a patched OS)? Install zStart, then set CalcSys to a shortcut. Then activate PTT. RAM clear. zStart should reenable the hooks, and allow you to use the Shortcut to call CalcSys. From there, read/write a byte to the link port and your calc should unlock...

Offline thepenguin77

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Re: zStart - an app that runs on ram clears
« Reply #211 on: May 17, 2011, 06:15:52 pm »
Hey, guys. I have reason to believe that zStart's 'Run on RAM clear' might beat PTT. Can anyone confirm (I use a patched OS)? Install zStart, then set CalcSys to a shortcut. Then activate PTT. RAM clear. zStart should reenable the hooks, and allow you to use the Shortcut to call CalcSys. From there, read/write a byte to the link port and your calc should unlock...

Very clever, but no, you get an Err:Disabled. But, if you made this program run on ram clears:
Code: [Select]
ld a, 3
bcall(_removeAppRestrictions)
ret
Then your calculator would never have PTT enabled again. You could even set this to run on Start Up because PTT doesn't disable OFFSCRPT.
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Offline ztrumpet

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Re: zStart - an app that runs on ram clears
« Reply #212 on: May 24, 2011, 04:23:30 pm »
I believe there are three things that zStart is lacking right now that would make me no longer dependent on DoorsCS' hooks:
1. Add Mirages' [On]+[Alpha] hook so it will automatically APD  when those two keys are pressed.
2. Add CalcUtil/DoorsCS' run archived programs feature.
These two will solve the DCS compatibility issues, as long as people turn the DCS hooks off.  Then Doors has no reason to mess with the zStart hooks.
3. Can you summarize all of the features in zStart.  I'm sure I'm missing something in the pages upon pages of info. :-\

Also, I'm curious as to which font you use, thepenguin.  Do you mind uploading it? :D
« Last Edit: May 24, 2011, 04:24:01 pm by ztrumpet »

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Re: zStart - an app that runs on ram clears
« Reply #213 on: May 24, 2011, 04:29:04 pm »
2. Add CalcUtil/DoorsCS' run archived programs feature.
Also, CalcUtil's ability to edit archived programs from the PRGM menu would be greatly helpful as well.


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Offline ztrumpet

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Re: zStart - an app that runs on ram clears
« Reply #214 on: May 31, 2011, 06:03:57 pm »
Another trio of ideas, this time it's for hooks in the program editor:
[On] + [?] = Copy the current line.
[On] + [?] = Paste from the cache into the current line.  If Ans was a string from copy, it would act like Rcl-ing Ans, but without the quotes.
[On] + [?] = Bring up a menu of the current Lbls in the program so you can choose one and jump directly to it, like DCS' instant goto feature.  (reference to this.)
« Last Edit: May 31, 2011, 06:06:15 pm by ztrumpet »

Offline Munchor

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Re: zStart - an app that runs on ram clears
« Reply #215 on: May 31, 2011, 06:06:56 pm »
Another trio of ideas, this time it's for hooks in the program editor:
[On] + [?] = Copy the current line.
[On] + [?] = Paste from the cache into the current line.  If Ans was a string from copy, it would act like Rcl-ing Ans, but without the quotes.
[On] + [?] = Bring up a menu of the current Lbls in the program so you can choose one and jump directly to it, like DCS' instant goto feature.  (reference to this.)

Oh thepenguin, if you could do that, it'd be pure epic =D

Offline alberthrocks

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Re: zStart - an app that runs on ram clears
« Reply #216 on: May 31, 2011, 07:56:56 pm »
Some bugs to poke you about:

1) APD is enabled for startup programs/RAM clear programs. It should be disabled since when it turns off, bad things happen (TM). :P
2) You should prevent users from enabling MathPrint in a 2.43 OS, since doing anything top-right-display worthy will show a flicker and disappear from sight. I puzzled over that, and after disabling all the option, I narrowed it down to that little but sinister option. :P

Feature requests:
1) Allow disabling of the "bypass" key for startup/RAM programs. Yes, I know that sounds dangerous, so you are free to smash a wall of WARNING text all over my screen. :P (If you're curious, I'm working on a special little program that shouldn't be disabled :P)
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Offline thepenguin77

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Re: zStart - an app that runs on ram clears
« Reply #217 on: May 31, 2011, 10:47:17 pm »
Another trio of ideas, this time it's for hooks in the program editor:
[On] + [?] = Copy the current line.
[On] + [?] = Paste from the cache into the current line.  If Ans was a string from copy, it would act like Rcl-ing Ans, but without the quotes.
[On] + [?] = Bring up a menu of the current Lbls in the program so you can choose one and jump directly to it, like DCS' instant goto feature.  (reference to this.)

EditBuffers are scary, but that sounds good enough to try to implement, so I will probably try eventually.

Some bugs to poke you about:

1) APD is enabled for startup programs/RAM clear programs. It should be disabled since when it turns off, bad things happen (TM). :P
2) You should prevent users from enabling MathPrint in a 2.43 OS, since doing anything top-right-display worthy will show a flicker and disappear from sight. I puzzled over that, and after disabling all the option, I narrowed it down to that little but sinister option. :P

Feature requests:
1) Allow disabling of the "bypass" key for startup/RAM programs. Yes, I know that sounds dangerous, so you are free to smash a wall of WARNING text all over my screen. :P (If you're curious, I'm working on a special little program that shouldn't be disabled :P)


1) I don't see a problem with having APD occur there. I'm pretty sure APD is interrupt based and when it quits, it quits back to the program. I have that enabled for my grayscale pictures and I haven't had a problem with APD's. Besides, I only take action if the calculator is starting up from and OFF, not from an APD.
2) What happens specifically? Because in reality, I don't even think that OS 2.43 even checks that flag. ;)

1) I can't do the bypass key because I can't check the appvar. The reason I put the bypass key in there to start with is so that you could boot your OS normally without even running any zStart code. Essentially, if you are holding [VARS], the OS jp's to zStart, sees that [VARS] is being pressed, then jp's to where the OS needs to go. In order to disable this, I would have to check the appvar first to see if the [VARS] abort should be accepted. But this completely defeats the purpose of the abort. Let's say that you have an archive glitch that is causing faulty VAT entries, even if you left the [VARS] abort enabled, you would still enter a boot loop.
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Offline ztrumpet

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Re: zStart - an app that runs on ram clears
« Reply #218 on: May 31, 2011, 10:56:07 pm »
ThePenguin, also, what about these ideas?
I believe there are three things that zStart is lacking right now that would make me no longer dependent on DoorsCS' hooks:
1. Add Mirages' [On]+[Alpha] hook so it will automatically APD  when those two keys are pressed.
2. Add CalcUtil/DoorsCS' run archived programs feature.
These two will solve the DCS compatibility issues, as long as people turn the DCS hooks off.  Then Doors has no reason to mess with the zStart hooks.
3. Can you summarize all of the features in zStart.  I'm sure I'm missing something in the pages upon pages of info. :-\

Also, I'm curious as to which font you use, thepenguin.  Do you mind uploading it? :D

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Re: zStart - an app that runs on ram clears
« Reply #219 on: May 31, 2011, 11:01:35 pm »
Quote from: thepenguin77
1) I don't see a problem with having APD occur there. I'm pretty sure APD is interrupt based and when it quits, it quits back to the program. I have that enabled for my grayscale pictures and I haven't had a problem with APD's. Besides, I only take action if the calculator is starting up from and OFF, not from an APD.
2) What happens specifically? Because in reality, I don't even think that OS 2.43 even checks that flag. ;)

1) I can't do the bypass key because I can't check the appvar. The reason I put the bypass key in there to start with is so that you could boot your OS normally without even running any zStart code. Essentially, if you are holding [VARS], the OS jp's to zStart, sees that [VARS] is being pressed, then jp's to where the OS needs to go. In order to disable this, I would have to check the appvar first to see if the [VARS] abort should be accepted. But this completely defeats the purpose of the abort. Let's say that you have an archive glitch that is causing faulty VAT entries, even if you left the [VARS] abort enabled, you would still enter a boot loop.
Bugs
1) That's odd... for a program that I'm working on, APD seems to screw up program data. It doesn't crash, but the Axe variables are messed up. (RAM modification likely?)
2) Of course it doesn't. ;) But I think the way you display those black messages (like "Molar mass", "Confirm?", etc.) changes with setting. If you have zStart loaded, hit [On] + [-] (subtract) on 2.43 with MathPrint enabled. The message will flicker away instead of staying for a second or two. The best place to reproduce this bug is in the program menu. Assign a shortcut or startup/ram clear load program. The bug will be really apparent there.

By the way, I'm a big fan of that molar mass calc! :D AP chemistry calculations feel much better with that turned on. ;)

Feature Requests
1) Huh... VARS? I've been using [DEL] and [CLEAR] held together to bypass startup. :P
And fair enough - although it will make my little locking program terminally weak if someone knows the keys to bypass zStart. :P
Combining my locking program with zStart makes one heck of a locking program, even stronger than Krylypto... if no one knows the keys to bypass, that is.

EDIT:
2) Oh, and don't forget the ones mentioned above! :D (Especially Fast app menu/program menu and edit archived prgms and... too lazy to try to find them all :P)
« Last Edit: May 31, 2011, 11:07:07 pm by alberthrocks »
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Offline ztrumpet

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Re: zStart - an app that runs on ram clears
« Reply #220 on: June 01, 2011, 05:03:08 pm »
1) That's odd... for a program that I'm working on, APD seems to screw up program data. It doesn't crash, but the Axe variables are messed up. (RAM modification likely?)
Ah, yes, that makes sense.  If the calc APDs, then the current screen has to be stored somewhere.  This area is appropriately named the "saveSScreen."  Unfortunately for you, this is L1 in Axe.  Basically if in your program the calc APDs, then you cannot use any of L1.  Remember that Axe Vars are stored at the end of L1 (as it's actually 768 bytes if you reallocate the vars).
Here's your fix:
1. Use #Realloc() to change the location of the Axe vars to some other place, such as L4.
2. Never ever ever use L1 in your program.

Good luck! ;D

Offline Freyaday

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Re: zStart - an app that runs on ram clears
« Reply #221 on: June 01, 2011, 05:04:45 pm »
Oh. That's why that area contains the flag for whether or not ON was pressed!
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Offline ztrumpet

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Re: zStart - an app that runs on ram clears
« Reply #222 on: June 01, 2011, 05:15:13 pm »
Oh. That's why that area contains the flag for whether or not ON was pressed!
I don't think it contains a flag to whether or not On was pressed; If you checked the area before and after an APD, chances are it will be different, but it doesn't have to be, so your method wouldn't always work. :-\
If you wanted to see how to check On, check out this Axe routine posted by calc84maniac from before getKey(41) checked on: http://ourl.ca/4129/133322  (In other words, you'd be checking a bit from port 4.)
« Last Edit: June 01, 2011, 05:15:24 pm by ztrumpet »

Offline thepenguin77

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Re: zStart - an app that runs on ram clears
« Reply #223 on: June 01, 2011, 05:19:23 pm »
1) That's odd... for a program that I'm working on, APD seems to screw up program data. It doesn't crash, but the Axe variables are messed up. (RAM modification likely?)

Yep, APD stores the screen to SaveSScreen. Maybe someone should tell Quigibo to add in a bcall(_disableAPD) command.

Quote
2) Of course it doesn't. ;) But I think the way you display those black messages (like "Molar mass", "Confirm?", etc.) changes with setting. If you have zStart loaded, hit [On] + [-] (subtract) on 2.43 with MathPrint enabled. The message will flicker away instead of staying for a second or two. The best place to reproduce this bug is in the program menu. Assign a shortcut or startup/ram clear load program. The bug will be really apparent there.

I see exactly what you are talking about. I'll replace all of my flag checks for Mathprint with calls that will say it's not set if the current version is <2.53.

Quote
By the way, I'm a big fan of that molar mass calc! :D AP chemistry calculations feel much better with that turned on. ;)

Great! Just watch Iodine, I believe it's molar mass is .01 too high because on the old table I got them from, that's what it rounded too. So I'll have to change that. You would look a little silly if you got the molar mass of something wrong :P

Oh. That's why that area contains the flag for whether or not ON was pressed!

There's a good chance you went past the end of saveSScreen. End of saveSScreen = $89EB. System flags = $89F0.
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Offline Quigibo

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Re: zStart - an app that runs on ram clears
« Reply #224 on: June 01, 2011, 05:19:53 pm »
@thepenguin77
Thought I'd poke remind you that I added the entry point hooks for token enabling a couple weeks ago if you want to have the Axe token hook enabled on startup.  Unfortunately, I don't have a sure way to verify that the current Axe installation is a new enough version to support this.  However, I'm pretty confident you can do it by verifying that the first entry point is a jump instruction.
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