Author Topic: zStart - an app that runs on ram clears  (Read 334764 times)

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Offline thepenguin77

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Re: zStart - an app that runs on ram clears
« Reply #960 on: September 20, 2013, 09:51:55 pm »
How far are you with the update? TI 84+ SE won't install the ram clear hoook, although it says success.

You managed to ask this really well actually. You made me feel bad because my app wasn't working right, and you managed to ask on a friday when I actually have some free time.

I fixed the running on ram clear issue. It was a stupid mistake by me, but the bad news is that it corrupted the OS. On 2.55 it made it so that the calculator will crash if you pull the batteries out from the homescreen (it usually doesn't). On 2.43 and 2.53 the calculator will go into a boot loop if it crashes. And on 1.19, all the menus glitch out. So if you tried to install the faulty version, you should probably resend your OS. (sorry)


First I'm just going to list these ones that I didn't do yet but want to do:
Quote
When MathPrint is enabled, any of the shortcut key actions used from a menu eject control back to the home screen.
This is actually coded like this on purpose, but I should find the proper way to do it.
Quote
Here's a big (code size-wise) one that probably isn't super important, but would be neat if it existed: instead of having individual options to control a few defaults, include an option that saves basically all settings as defaults (everything currently available and everything in MODE). If you were crazy enough to add this, you might also be crazy enough to be interested in adding a second option that does the same for the WINDOW and FORMAT settings.
Maybe...
Quote
Feature request: when editing archived programs, they don't get rewritten back to archive if nothing is changed.
This isn't as easy to add as I thought, but I should add it.
Quote
Shortcut key actions do not work in contexts other than the home screen. This includes menus launched from these contexts.
Someday, but I have to handle every menu differently because a lot of the hooks require closing the edit buffer.


Things I did do:
Quote
When uninstalling the run on RAM clear functionality finishes, "No" is printed over "Yes". But no erasing is done, so you end up with "Nos". A simple fix for this would be to append a 3-wide space (character code $EE (could a small font hook with a wider "s" ruin this fix?)) to the end of the "No" string.
I fixed it in a less pretty way. I can't modify no because I right align it sometimes.
Quote
The "Select font" option sometimes says "No" when no font is selected, but other times is just blank. I suspect that one of these behaviors is a bug. If showing the string "No" was the intended behavior, may I suggest a slightly more fitting string, like "None"?
Again, I can't change it to "None", but it will at least say "No".
Quote
A common, minor oversight of many programs/apps: if you use plotSScreen, you should mark it as dirty with set graphDraw,(iy+graphFlags).
I added this to the main app, the two help programs, and the label finder.
Quote
A negative feature: remove the confirmation on setting shortcuts? I don't think I've ever accidentally hit any of those shortcuts, so the confirmation seems a bit unnecessary to me. If you do want to keep them in, though, it wouldn't bother me much. But if you do, can you display some text between "Confirm" and "Set" (perhaps "Working..." or "Setting...")? On my calculator, the option setting/saving process takes about 4 seconds. It may take a non-trivial amount of time on others' calculators as well, and during this time, the calculator appears frozen.
Run indicator + fast mode fixed that pretty well
Quote
A shortcut to toggle MathPrint.
Of all the things I added, this was by far the hardest. It's really hard to change this from a key hook.


So update!!
  • Added - ON + MATH - toggle MathPrint
  • Fixed - run on ram clear (it finally works)
  • Fixed - a few graphical issues within the app
  • Fixed - Setting shortcuts is a little faster


I have the full .zip attached this time. The two zHelps got updated if you actually use them.


Edit:
   So, you have to have MathPrint open at least once before you can use my shortcut. I'm working on why.

Edit 2:
   Changed to a full release .zip
« Last Edit: September 23, 2013, 09:41:47 am by thepenguin77 »
zStart v1.3.013 9-20-2013 
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Offline Runer112

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Re: zStart - an app that runs on ram clears
« Reply #961 on: September 21, 2013, 03:31:18 am »
All my stuff has been addressed! Awesome! :thumbsup:

The MathPrint toggle should actually be pretty useful if I'm ever doing serious math on my calculator. I played with it for a bit and noticed a few things:
  • Changing from Classic mode to MathPrint mode leaves the entry history intact, but changing in the other direction does not. Why is this? The entry history seems to stay intact when changing modes the old-fasioned way from the mode screen.
  • Changing from Classic mode to MathPrint mode sometimes doesn't return the cursor to the top left corner of the screen, and sometimes that happens as well as text being left over from Classic mode. The first case is definitely a bug, and the second case is probably two bugs in one, although it's actually pretty cool when the second bug happens. It seems like switching modes almost invisibly.
  • Regarding the shortcut to enable MathPrint not working unless it has already been enabled once: perhaps the above bug is somehow related to it? If not or you otherwise can't easily see how to fix it, can you do something sneaky to always let MathPrint load up on RAM clears, but after it has been enabled, immediately switch to Classic mode if that default is set?

Also, another thought popped into my mind. You know how a while ago I mentioned that Omnicalc's quick apps menu doesn't register a context change until after any executed app returns to the OS? That may be a hard Omnicalc issue to fix, but I realized there are other issues with Omnicalc that might be (perhaps more easily) fixable. For instance, enforcing that parentheses assistant, the entries menu, and RAM recovery are disabled when MathPrint mode is enabled, and returning them to their original settings when Classic mode is enabled. It also may or may not be feasible to kill the partial line clear functionality when MathPrint mode is enabled. (I got the impression that you try to keep your key hook fast by only having ON+___ shortcuts so you can abort if ON is not pressed, but this check would need to occur before that)

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Re: zStart - an app that runs on ram clears
« Reply #962 on: September 21, 2013, 04:13:26 am »
Awesome!
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Offline thepenguin77

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Re: zStart - an app that runs on ram clears
« Reply #963 on: September 21, 2013, 11:37:21 am »
All my stuff has been addressed! Awesome! ;D

The MathPrint toggle should actually be pretty useful if I'm ever doing serious math on my calculator. I played with it for a bit and noticed a few things:
  • Changing from Classic mode to MathPrint mode leaves the entry history intact, but changing in the other direction does not. Why is this? The entry history seems to stay intact when changing modes the old-fasioned way from the mode screen.
  • Changing from Classic mode to MathPrint mode sometimes doesn't return the cursor to the top left corner of the screen, and sometimes that happens as well as text being left over from Classic mode. The first case is definitely a bug, and the second case is probably two bugs in one, although it's actually pretty cool when the second bug happens. It seems like switching modes almost invisibly.
  • Regarding the shortcut to enable MathPrint not working unless it has already been enabled once: perhaps the above bug is somehow related to it? If not or you otherwise can't easily see how to fix it, can you do something sneaky to always let MathPrint load up on RAM clears, but after it has been enabled, immediately switch to Classic mode if that default is set?

Also, another thought popped into my mind. You know how a while ago I mentioned that Omnicalc's quick apps menu doesn't register a context change until after any executed app returns to the OS? That may be a hard Omnicalc issue to fix, but I realized there are other issues with Omnicalc that might be (perhaps more easily) fixable. For instance, enforcing that parentheses assistant, the entries menu, and RAM recovery are disabled when MathPrint mode is enabled, and returning them to their original settings when Classic mode is enabled. It also may or may not be feasible to kill the partial line clear functionality when MathPrint mode is enabled. (I got the impression that you try to keep your key hook fast by only having ON+___ shortcuts so you can abort if ON is not pressed, but this check would need to occur before that)

I was deleting the entry stack on purpose. It causes all sorts of trouble. The way the options menu does it is it has a special call that converts the entire entry stack to the other format. I know this is what causes the issue with the hangs, but I cannot call the routine in any manner and it's like 300 bytes.

Edit:
   I have literally no idea what is causing this. I called the OS function by address and it still hangs. Looks like the work around is just going to have to work for now.
« Last Edit: September 21, 2013, 01:37:12 pm by thepenguin77 »
zStart v1.3.013 9-20-2013 
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Offline Pawnerd

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Re: zStart - an app that runs on ram clears
« Reply #964 on: September 22, 2013, 06:45:08 am »
Quote
You managed to ask this really well actually. You made me feel bad because my app wasn't working right, and you managed to ask on a friday when I actually have some free time.

haha, great :), I didn't believe there was an update when I checked the forums this morning and you shouldn't feel bad. Although you claim that you fixed the RunOnRamClear issues on the ti84+ SE, I am not able to let my calc run an prgm on ram clear.

Here is a video of my calculator and my attempt to let it run a prgm on ramclear:


What do I do wrong?

greetings,
me

Offline thepenguin77

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Re: zStart - an app that runs on ram clears
« Reply #965 on: September 22, 2013, 11:02:09 am »
Ok, I figured out all of the issues.

1. zStart and Mathprint don't get along at all. This is something I need to fix eventually, but that's why the program editor crashed and why you couldn't properly set the program to run on ram clear. The simple fix is just to change it to classic in the zStart defaults menu
2. The program that you want to run on ram clears has to be archived (otherwise it's just going to get deleted) You can press ON + * in the program menu or in the editor

3. It did install on ram clear. You just didn't tell it do do anything ;D (The best way to check is to enable the "old ram clear", that will change the ram clear screen).
4. The lowercase is a function of the calculator that zStart turns on, at one point I meant to make it an option, but I forgot and it's on by default now.
zStart v1.3.013 9-20-2013 
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You can build a statue out of either 1'x1' blocks or 12'x12' blocks. The 1'x1' blocks will take a lot longer, but the final product is worth it.
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Offline Pawnerd

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Re: zStart - an app that runs on ram clears
« Reply #966 on: September 22, 2013, 11:37:39 am »
Hey there,

Finally, it works :D.

I knew there was something I did wrong myself ^^. Everybody who would like to use my calculator, has to defeat my tic tac toe bot from now on.

Thanks a lot for your interest in assembly for TI calculators and the community Jacob/penguin!

Greetings,
me
« Last Edit: September 22, 2013, 01:29:53 pm by Pawnerd »

Offline Hayleia

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Re: zStart - an app that runs on ram clears
« Reply #967 on: September 22, 2013, 02:04:07 pm »
Thanks a lot for your interest in assembly for TI calculators and the community Jacob/penguin!
Erm, his name is not Jacob at all.

Also, I'll use that post to host screenshots of zStart so I can make a decent post on TI Planet about this app (I'll do this tomorrow maybe).
« Last Edit: September 23, 2013, 11:55:42 am by Hayleia »
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Offline Streetwalrus

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Re: zStart - an app that runs on ram clears
« Reply #968 on: September 22, 2013, 02:15:20 pm »
Yeah his name is Brian Coventry (confirmed by the first line of the readme :P).
Nice to see an update BTW, I set myself a reminder to put it on my calc when I get on a comp. :D
Also I'm looking forward to your news Hayleia. ;)

Offline Hayleia

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Re: zStart - an app that runs on ram clears
« Reply #969 on: September 22, 2013, 02:18:53 pm »
Also I'm looking forward to your news Hayleia. ;)
Erm, not sure it will be a news. In my opinion, zStart deserves front page news but it is not new and I'd find weird to news about a 2 years old program, even this one.
I own: 83+ ; 84+SE ; 76.fr ; CX CAS ; Prizm ; 84+CSE
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Offline Streetwalrus

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Re: zStart - an app that runs on ram clears
« Reply #970 on: September 22, 2013, 02:20:32 pm »
Well some programs get featured a long time later on TIcalc.org. ;)

Offline thepenguin77

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Re: zStart - an app that runs on ram clears
« Reply #971 on: September 22, 2013, 03:48:05 pm »
Thanks a lot for your interest in assembly for TI calculators and the community Jacob/penguin!
Erm, his name is not Jacob at all.

Also, I'll use that post to host screenshots of zStart so I can make a decent post on TI Planet about this app (I'll do this tomorrow maybe).

Haha, yeah, I saw that. I just let it go. Indeed my name is Brian Coventry.


If you are going to do something front page with it, let me know so that I can upload a full .zip of it. The one I uploaded is missing a few things for being a full release.
zStart v1.3.013 9-20-2013 
All of my utilities
TI-Connect Help
You can build a statue out of either 1'x1' blocks or 12'x12' blocks. The 1'x1' blocks will take a lot longer, but the final product is worth it.
       -Runer112

Offline Streetwalrus

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Re: zStart - an app that runs on ram clears
« Reply #972 on: September 22, 2013, 04:04:18 pm »
So I updated (titools + ssh + raspberry pi FTW) it and I like the new speed. :D

Offline Hayleia

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Re: zStart - an app that runs on ram clears
« Reply #973 on: September 23, 2013, 12:42:39 am »
If you are going to do something front page with it, let me know so that I can upload a full .zip of it. The one I uploaded is missing a few things for being a full release.
Apparently, no one is against my article going to front page (I just have to finish it with those said screenshots). And even if it doesn't go to front page, a full zip is still a good idea, isn't it ? ^^
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Offline thepenguin77

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Re: zStart - an app that runs on ram clears
« Reply #974 on: September 23, 2013, 09:38:38 am »
If you are going to do something front page with it, let me know so that I can upload a full .zip of it. The one I uploaded is missing a few things for being a full release.
Apparently, no one is against my article going to front page (I just have to finish it with those said screenshots). And even if it doesn't go to front page, a full zip is still a good idea, isn't it ? ^^

Ok, I fixed it. I usually don't upload the full one because inevitably I always say "I'm going to upload this to ticalc.org next week if there are no errors". And then there are errors and then I never upload it to ticalc.

Edit:
   You might also want to mention that zStart and MathPrint don't get along nicely if people have trouble with stuff.
« Last Edit: September 23, 2013, 09:40:49 am by thepenguin77 »
zStart v1.3.013 9-20-2013 
All of my utilities
TI-Connect Help
You can build a statue out of either 1'x1' blocks or 12'x12' blocks. The 1'x1' blocks will take a lot longer, but the final product is worth it.
       -Runer112