Software 2.1.14558 (Beta): First Impressions

[Eddie W. Shore]

First, thank you HP Team! Thank you Tim and Cyrille!

NEW COMMANDS

If I am understanding correctly, the Resources command returns a graphic object?

I like the Intelligent Math mode. If that box is checked, the Prime will prioritize returning results exactly in Home Mode. Unchecked, all results are floating point (the default mode in programming). My fingers are crossed that a system variable, like HAngle or HFormat, is created for Intelligent mode.

I was excited when I learned about Go To in programming editing mode. However, it is not the GOTO command I thought it was, but allows you to jump to any line in programming mode. Still useful. Also, there are line markers in the PPL programming mode.

Below are demos of the several of the new commands.

TERMINAL

Code:

EXPORT TERMDEMO()
BEGIN
// Demo of Terminal command
// HP Prime 4.22.21 Beta
// 2021-04-26 EWS

// storage by list
{'A','B','C'}:={√2,√3,√5};

// initial screen
PRINT(A);
PRINT(B);
PRINT(C);
// add a wait after each step

// change terminal line 3 
// to √8
Terminal(3):=√8;
// a row separates new from old

END;

There are lot more things that can be done with terminal: examples include clear the terminal screen and change the line's color.

PRINT2D

I think is the my favorite new command so far. PRINT2D prints textbook expressions on to the terminal, and allows for strings to be displayed in different font sizes, colors, and styles.

Code:

EXPORT PTWODEMO()
BEGIN
// Demo of PRINT2D command
// HP Prime 4.22.21 Beta
// 2021-04-26 EWS


// clear before beginning
PRINT();
PRINT("PRINT vs PRINT2D");

// Print 2D objects
PRINT('√74');
PRINT2D('√74');

PRINT('85/36');
PRINT2D('85/36');

LOCAL n:=√88;
// evaluated always goes
// float
PRINT(n);
PRINT2D(n);

// unless QPI is applied
n:=QPI(n);
PRINT(n);
PRINT2D(n);

WAIT(0);

// 2D styles
// font size (3=med, 4=large)
// color
// style
PRINT();
PRINT2D("NONE",3,0,0);
PRINT2D("BOLD",3,0,1);
PRINT2D("UNDERLINE",3,0,2);
PRINT2D("STRIKED",3,0,3);
// centered and right not
// working? They are struck
// out.
PRINT2D("CENTER",3,0,4);
PRINT2D("RIGHT",3,0,4);
WAIT(0);

// now let's try colors
PRINT();
PRINT2D("Red",3,#FF0000h,0);
PRINT2D("Green",3,#008000h,0);
PRINT2D("Blue",3,#0000FFh,0);
PRINT2D("Yellow",3,#FFFF00h,0);
PRINT2D("Dark Gray",3,#404040h,0);

END;

CONST

This allows the user to define a constant. I did get a syntax error with this code though.

Code:

EXPORT CONSTDEMO()
BEGIN

// Demo of CONST command
// HP Prime 4.22.21 Beta
// 2021-04-26 EWS

// define and protect 
// constants
CONST A;
CONST B:=√3;

// but this gives a 
// syntax error.

END;

TEXTSIZE

There is no help file for TEXTSIZE (yet), TEXTSIZE returns the text as a two element list: { size in pixels for the x-axis, size in pixels for the y-axis }. Curiously, TEXTSIZE is found in the Cmds-Drawing-Cartesian menu instead of the Cms-Drawing-Pixels menu.

Code:

EXPORT TXTSZEDEMO()
BEGIN
// Demo of TEXTSIZE command
// HP Prime 4.22.21 Beta
// 2021-04-26 EWS

// no separate help page for
// now
// returns {x size, y size}
// in plxels
// TEXTSIZE(text,font number)

LOCAL s3,s4,s5,str:="demo";
PRINT();
PRINT("demo");
s3:=TEXTSIZE(str,3);
s4:=TEXTSIZE(str,4);
s5:=TEXTSIZE(str,5);
PRINT("Size 3: "+STRING(s3));
PRINT("Size 4: "+STRING(s4));
PRINT("Size 5: "+STRING(s5));

END;

I am fan of the Probability Wizard (Toolbox-Math-Probability-Probability Wizard), curious to know why this approach instead of making another standard app.

I have not gotten to the Python app yet, plan to do so within the coming week.