RPN83P: RPN calculator for TI-83+ TI-84+ inspired by HP-42S

[johnb]

(04-14-2024 11:30 AM)floppy Wrote:  Under windows, looks like a student TI-NSPIRE whatever graph&OS SW must be installed, a license key must exists (since I bought one as second hand, no license key so far given) = I am stuck there, too.

Have you considered reaching out to TI's support and asking what it takes to get a license key for a used Inspire? This cannot be the only scenario that leaves a user stranded. It may be as simple as providing them the serial number of your device.

[bxparks]

(04-14-2024 11:30 AM)floppy Wrote:  What are the instructions for installing on "TI-Nspire with TI-84 Plus Keypad (OS v2.46)"?

So far my findings.

Under linux, a first try with OS 2.54 and tilp was not successfull (the upload of the rpn83p.8xk had no effect: no error, app not seen in the calculator).

Under windows, looks like a student TI-NSPIRE whatever graph&OS SW must be installed, a license key must exists (since I bought one as second hand, no license key so far given) = I am stuck there, too.

I'm not sure what's causing your problems. My Nspire (w/ the 84+ keypad) behaves exactly like a regular 84+SE. I used the same tilp program (the package name is 'tilp2' on my Linux Mint 21.1, basically an Ubuntu Linux 22.04). I needed no license key, no OS upgrade, nothing. I verified the installation process using both the mini USB-B port and the 2.5mm GraphLink port.

[floppy]

(04-14-2024 03:37 PM)bxparks Wrote:  My Nspire (w/ the 84+ keypad) behaves exactly like a regular 84+SE

In TILP under Linux, by chosing the device "TI84+USB" and NOT "TI-NSPIRE" , the RPN83P was uploaded. Will see if it works fully like the usual TI84+ hardware. I assume that will be the case.

[bxparks]

(04-14-2024 08:30 PM)floppy Wrote:  In TILP under Linux, by chosing the device "TI84+USB" and NOT "TI-NSPIRE" , the RPN83P was uploaded.

Yes, that's definitely a potential source of confusion, since people may not fully realize that "the TI-Nspire is emulating a TI-84+" really means exactly what that says. I have updated the USER_GUIDE.md document with a note that explains this.

[bxparks]

I am changing the appearance of the RPN83P menus so that a MenuFolder is displayed with a small line above the box, so that it looks like a file folder icon. This makes the menus look like the HP-48 series, instead of the HP-42S. Here's a screenshot:

   

If anyone has strong objections, this would be the time to raise them, before I spend multiple days updating the 400-500 screenshots of those menus in various documents. It is possible to make this configurable with MODE options (a "42S-style" or a "48-style"), but I'm not seeing any downsides to the 48-style menus, so I would prefer to avoid a MODE option for this.

Funny story: I had seen screenshots of the HP-48 series for 20+ years, and I never knew what those little lines meant. Until 1-2 months ago, when I realized that those are file folder icons.

[Steve Simpkin]

(04-16-2024 06:43 PM)bxparks Wrote:  I am changing the appearance of the RPN83P menus so that a MenuFolder is displayed with a small line above the box, so that it looks like a file folder icon. This makes the menus look like the HP-48 series, instead of the HP-42S. Here's a screenshot:



If anyone has strong objections, this would be the time to raise them, before I spend multiple days updating the 400-500 screenshots of those menus in various documents. It is possible to make this configurable with MODE options (a "42S-style" or a "48-style"), but I'm not seeing any downsides to the 48-style menus, so I would prefer to avoid a MODE option for this.

Funny story: I had seen screenshots of the HP-48 series for 20+ years, and I never knew what those little lines meant. Until 1-2 months ago, when I realized that those are file folder icons.

I would be surprised if anyone complained since it just makes it obvious that it is a Menu Folder rather than just a command. It would have been nice to have this feature on the HP-42S but I suspect they didn't have space on the limited LCD.

[johnb]

(04-16-2024 06:43 PM)bxparks Wrote:  I am changing the appearance of the RPN83P menus so that a MenuFolder is displayed with a small line above the box, so that it looks like a file folder icon.

...

If anyone has strong objections, this would be the time to raise them, before I spend multiple days updating the 400-500 screenshots of those menus [...] It is possible to make this configurable with MODE options [...], but I'm not seeing any downsides to the 48-style menus, so I would prefer to avoid a MODE option for this.

I see no reason for the option, either. Why would you _want_ to not see the difference? BTW, I think this is definitely a worthwhile change. I like the fact that the difference is subtle but obvious, and I always found the on screen menus of the 48-series to be pretty intuitive.

(04-16-2024 06:43 PM)bxparks Wrote:  Funny story: I had seen screenshots of the HP-48 series for 20+ years, and I never knew what those little lines meant. Until 1-2 months ago, when I realized that those are file folder icons.

I think this must be an occupational hazard with scientists, engineers, and technical types. We see what others don't, but sometimes miss the obvious. Either that, or it's a built-in "feature" of our personality type. My own canonical example is that I've liked "Monty Python and the Holy Grail" since my teen years (in the 1970s), but it wasn't until a dozen years ago when I was writing a funny response to someone and called them "a filthy English Knnn--nigit!" that I realized they were just grossly mispronouncing "knight!"

[bxparks]

(04-17-2024 06:19 PM)johnb Wrote:  

(04-16-2024 06:43 PM)bxparks Wrote:  but I'm not seeing any downsides to the 48-style menus, so I would prefer to avoid a MODE option for this.

I see no reason for the option, either. Why would you _want_ to not see the difference? BTW, I think this is definitely a worthwhile change. I like the fact that the difference is subtle but obvious, and I always found the on screen menus of the 48-series to be pretty intuitive.

It turns out there *is* a downside to the 48-style folder icon.

The RPN83P used a non-blinking underscore cursor to match the one used by the HP-42S. The problem is that the underscore character is visually too similar to the short dash of the menu folder tab. If multiple menu folders are displayed, the underline character can get lost in the sea of short dashes, and user can have difficulty finding the location of the cursor. (See screenshot 1).

   

The solution was to change the RPN83P cursor to be a blinking block character. (See screenshot 2).

   

The side benefit of using the blinking block cursor is that it is supported natively by the TI-OS. This makes it much easier to implement a scrollable cursor that supports the LEFT and RIGHT arrow keys to edit a long input line before input termination. (see screenshot 3) This feature is similar to the command line editing of the 48/49/50 series, but using the traditional RPN mode instead of RPL.

   

Anyway, the code for these UI changes is basically done. Changing the shape of the cursor means that I have to update the majority of the 1346 screenshots embedded in various documents. And since the cursor is blinking, I have to hit the screen capture just at the right time to grab the cursor. This will be so much fun.

[Eric Rechlin]

(Today 05:08 PM)bxparks Wrote:  Changing the shape of the cursor means that I have to update the majority of the 1346 screenshots embedded in various documents. And since the cursor is blinking, I have to hit the screen capture just at the right time to grab the cursor.

Or just manually edit the screenshots to paste the block over the underscore instead of making new ones. Still tedious, but way quicker than making new ones and timing the blink just right. Or just don't worry about it yet and deal with it when you have time; it's a trivial thing and maybe some of those screenshots you may have to remake again soon anyway for later changes.