Author Topic: Bugs and Requested Features with the HP Prime and Related Software  (Read 57708 times)

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Offline Phil Wipf

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Re: Bugs and Requested Features with the HP Prime and Related Software
« Reply #75 on: November 11, 2013, 04:12:22 pm »
Thanks!

Yes, I should be more clear or at least keep it simple.  I love the calculator and I have high hopes for continued updates/fixes/improvements, and my optimism comes mainly from seeing TW's comments here and on MoHPC.

The Bug and/or request is that the K_Home user key override doesn't work when in the home screen--the HOME key retains it's usual effect of "nothing" from there, but if you are on another screen, for example the home-settings screen, then the user key override program DOES run.  This seems exactly backwards from (possibly) intended function.  If not on the home screen I could agree that the HOME key should take you there and I could understand making it difficult or impossible to user-override this function.  But once on the home screen, the HOME key doesn't do anything, so it would be useful/reasonable to override it's function there.

Code: [Select]
KEY K_Home()
BEGIN
  IF Entry==2 THEN Entry:=0; ELSE Entry:=2; END;
  STARTVIEW(-8,0);
  STARTVIEW(-1,1);
  RETURN 5;
END;

This seems to not work when I want it to (while on the home screen), but does work when I don't want it to (when pushing HOME to return from home-settings).

Offline Phil Wipf

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Re: Bugs and Requested Features with the HP Prime and Related Software
« Reply #76 on: November 11, 2013, 04:19:47 pm »
Simple feature/modification request

The touchscreen does a really good job of allowing me to do almost everything with hard keys instead of touch, I do like that because when your fingers are on the keys it just seems quicker and more intuitive to use the keys.

But one thing I can't find a key for is switching tabs in the Toolbox or similar screens.  From Math to User for example.  Perhaps Shift>right/left?

Very minor issue!!!

Offline DJ Omnimaga

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Re: Bugs and Requested Features with the HP Prime and Related Software
« Reply #77 on: November 13, 2013, 10:49:40 pm »
I am unsure if Tim Wessman and others are still reading this thread since most of the bugs are reported on MoHPC, but I ran into another issue:

In the connectivity kit, after opening the emulator, it now shows an error at the bottom of the screen saying "Size error (too big) - Message dropped", and in the emulator content list, my engine3D2 program (which is 62 KB on-calc and in the emulator) always remains missing, while on the emulator it shows up. I am unsure if it's because I have close to 200 KB of stuff on my calc or if it's because the Connectivity kit is unable to display programs larger than 50-60 KB? ???

By the way, the source code in text format (pasted in Notepad) is 442 KB.


Also, I find it strange that this program is 62 KB, while my previous version called engine3D was 47 KB despite having about 4-5 times fewer GROB data ???. Are you sure that the size of programs displayed in the program menu on the calc is right?

Offline Ryleh

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Re: Bugs and Requested Features with the HP Prime and Related Software
« Reply #78 on: November 14, 2013, 12:14:02 am »
I've gotten an error where backing up a program (and inserting my own files  such as .hpprgm files found around the net) into the backup.zip while I have a custom app (3D grapher in my case) causes the primary 'function' to corrupt upon restoring it onto the calculator. Only way to remedy the issue is to clear all of the Apps memory from the memory management viewer. Without doing that the calculator resets everytime the app button is hit.

Understand most of these are a stretch but there's no harm in asking...

Requested features:
  • Password/customizable splash screen (depicting owner's information). This could probably tie in with the exam mode in some interesting ways.
  • Multi-user configurations (separate from one another, different settings, different programs, different everything). Would work out great for students or professionals. Having lots of superflous programs is annoying and allocation of variables, lists, custom definitions is miserable. The setting and resetting of various settings can be a pain to. Being in 4 math heavily classes right now that all require drastic things makes managing the calculator a chore.
  • Ability to manipulate/sort/hide functions from the toolbox
  • Toolbox functions being more indicitive or representative of what they actually look like long-hand. Parenthesis, square brackets, commas, etc# to enter information is pitiful in some functions. Very disproportionate amongst themselves too in how straightforward data entry is. Making a program to reskin each feature used is ridiculously tedious and cumbersome.
  • Ability to add your own formula templates, units, sub-sections of the characters(favorites maybe?)
  • Ability to manipulate items in the toolbox
  • Universal copy/paste
  • Different fonts size settings for different applications
  • Better note-taking formating options available from the connectivity kit when typing stuff directly into the calc. While a stretch, a built in split-screen viewer for the note-home/cas view would be fantastic.
  • Ability to log results from running programs somewhere (notes possibly?)
  • Program functions have the []s for required fields in a common format for how it would be commonly used. Something like ["title"], {[whatever, whatever, RGB]}. Auto-indentation
Note:
I might aggregate more requested features and arrange it neatly
« Last Edit: November 14, 2013, 12:49:29 am by Ryleh »

Offline DJ Omnimaga

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Re: Bugs and Requested Features with the HP Prime and Related Software
« Reply #79 on: November 14, 2013, 02:30:54 am »
Yeah I would like an universal copy/paste too, same for the note-taking stuff.

By the way, another issue that I noticed with the calc is that the link port seems kinda loose. I am a bit concerned about that. I hope it doesn't break after a while :/


EDIT: FATAL BUG: In certain cases it seems (perhaps large programs or heavy DIMGROB/BLIT usage?), if you connect the calc to the computer, some programs might be messed up during runtime. For example, in the following screenshot (which I scaled down to half its size):



1) If I connect the cable before the program is ran, then the 3D blocks will not appear at all and the FPS counter will say 90-100 (I use the TICK command for it btw). Only the background will appear behind.
2) If I connect the cable while the program is running, then the FPS counter text will start displaying garbage.
3) In one occasion, the screen messed up then the calc froze, requiring pushing the small reset button with a needle.
« Last Edit: November 14, 2013, 02:40:22 am by DJ Omnimaga »

Offline SpiroH

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Re: Bugs and Requested Features with the HP Prime and Related Software
« Reply #80 on: November 14, 2013, 10:06:57 am »
Solution: Do not connect the cable for god's sake! I mean, obviously the link activity is interacting with the foreground job. There should be a programmatic way to prevent it.
Nice ad, btw. :P

Offline Ryleh

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Re: Bugs and Requested Features with the HP Prime and Related Software
« Reply #81 on: November 14, 2013, 03:40:20 pm »
My USB port is loose too.
I really hope HPs new line has a long and prosperous future. Lots of things can be improved upon.

Another error I've gotten when manipulating the backup file is that it can turn most of my notes into 'Asian' characters.

Offline DJ Omnimaga

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Re: Re: Re: Bugs and Requested Features with the HP Prime and Related Software
« Reply #82 on: November 14, 2013, 09:23:12 pm »
Solution: Do not connect the cable for god's sake! I mean, obviously the link activity is interacting with the foreground job. There should be a programmatic way to prevent it.
Nice ad, btw. :P
true, but it's annoying to have to disconnect the cable to test my code changes on-calc then reconnect it to send updates over and over.

Also this isn't meant to be an ad? ???

Offline Phil Wipf

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Re: Bugs and Requested Features with the HP Prime and Related Software
« Reply #83 on: November 14, 2013, 10:49:44 pm »
Bug:
When programming with the MOUSE() function, with two pointers going (two fingers on the screen), if you pick up the finger for the first pointer, then suddenly both pointers are at the location of the second finger, and then when you pick up the second finger, the second pointer often gets "stuck", where the mouse function is returning data for the second pointer only, first list is empty, and this goes on indefinitely, with nothing touching the screen, until you touch the screen again.  This happens regularly when you (1) touch finger1, (2) touch finger2, (3) lift finger1, (4) lift finger2.  I narrowed it down to when you do steps (3) and (4) quickly, as if pulling both finger off at the same time, but second finger a bit behind.  The closer together the lifts are the more likely it is to stick.

It seems to be related to the fact that the second pointer gets "taken over" by the first pointer when you lift the first finger, that is, when you lift the first finger leaving the second finger down, the data coming in the first list from MOUSE() suddenly become the coordinates of the second finger, and the data coming in the second list "stick" at wherever the point was, and when both fingers are lifted then both lists become empty.  I'm sure this is known and maybe considered normal, but I wanted to point out about the second pointer becoming more permanently "stuck" if you remove the fingers quickly.

I guess it's easy enough to just ignore the second list from MOUSE() if the first list is empty, but I have to say the touch screen with the two independent pointers is really fun to program with because it works so well, and the possibilities seem endless, so it's a shame that the two pointers are not quite "independent".

Let me know if anyone wants more information.

Phil

Edit:  I was thinking about this more, and I realized it isn't too hard to recognize when the first pointer suddenly jumps to the location of the second, and take care of the issue that way, but I do think it's a bug and could more easily be fixed in the code for the MOUSE function itself.
« Last Edit: November 14, 2013, 10:54:39 pm by Phil Wipf »

Offline DJ Omnimaga

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Re: Bugs and Requested Features with the HP Prime and Related Software
« Reply #84 on: November 16, 2013, 12:58:52 am »
Ouch this sucks. That said, for the mouse, if I decide to use it, I planned to only use one finger at a time. Can this bug still get in the way with 1 finger at a time, such as when the user accidentally touches the screen with a second finger?



Also, regarding the wrong program file sizes, this is what I meant:



Those 6 sub-programs got code that is roughly the same size, yet the last one shows a size 4 times larger than the others. I am suspecting that program size loops back to 0 once it hits 64 KB, since the 6th one is supposed to be a bit smaller than the rest. On my calc, I only have those 6 programs, plus SHWexec (which is now the name of my 3D engine), along with a smaller unrelated program that is 1 KB. The memory menu says I have 449 KB of program files. If you add 64 KB to the 5 first data programs then do the sum of each file sizes, then you pretty much reach 449 KB.

Basically, SHWData1 through 4 should be 76 KB each, while SHWData5 should be 80 KB. Those seems to be detected by the connectivity kit when connecting my calc, although it obviously takes a long while (SHWExec took like 10 seconds, while the Data program takes between 1 and 10 minutes each). They send in about 25-30 seconds (although one took almost twice longer).
« Last Edit: November 16, 2013, 01:10:43 am by DJ Omnimaga »

Offline SpiroH

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Re: Bugs and Requested Features with the HP Prime and Related Software
« Reply #85 on: November 25, 2013, 05:42:40 pm »
Quote
HP Prime - This is ridiculous
Message #1 Posted by Michael de Estrada on 25 Nov 2013, 2:25 p.m.
For the third time I've had to re-format the flash drive on the Prime to recover the OS. This time the settings screens locked up and I couldn't make any changes. When I did the restore from my pc with the connectivity kit, I got the old Apps key reboot routine, so I had to re-format again. Next I transferred some programs from my Emulator to the Prime, but the Apps transfer caused memory to explode, so I'll have to type them all back in on the Prime, which I'm not about to do.
But it gets better, since now programs that used to work no longer do, despite all settings being the same. CAS solve won't work in a program despite working fine previously, so basically the program is now worthless.
In short, this calculator is a nightmare, and possibly the worst product ever to wear the hp logo. I may continue working with the Emulator, but the physical Prime is going into permanent storage.

Do you need a good laugh? Look it up!
http://www.hpmuseum.org/cgi-sys/cgiwrap/hpmuseum/forum.cgi?read=256942#256942

Offline DJ Omnimaga

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Re: Bugs and Requested Features with the HP Prime and Related Software
« Reply #86 on: November 25, 2013, 05:58:40 pm »
Wow that sucks, and sorry to hear about his calc. That said, there were major improvements over the HP 39gII (which the Prime is based on), because the 39gII was ten times worse in terms of stability. I think that HP should have waited until the product is more stable, doing more rounds of testing, before releasing it. In addition to that, maybe they could have offered more people to beta-test it before the final release. Granted, the calc missed back-to-school sales due to its late release, so they still have a lot of opportunities to fix everything before next year, but the problem is that many people already bought the calc for use in school or work and since the calc was bought online for the most part, this means no warranty, unless HP is kind enough to send them a fixed calc regardless, considering the problems it has.

So far, mine works fine, but that might be because I tried to avoid accessing the spread sheet and some other apps now that I heard about the major issues.


If such problems become widespread, do you think that a class action against HP might be in order or does this only apply for offline purchases? Granted, we are happy that one of the programming team member is active here and helping us, but it's HP administration/marketing teams' fault for rushing the product into the market instead of delaying the release to polish it further (which wouldn't have been much of a problem considering the calc was already late into the school year), and now, people who paid $110-150 probably have a bricked or malfunctioning calc with no way of recovery.
« Last Edit: November 25, 2013, 06:12:12 pm by DJ Omnimaga »

Offline SpiroH

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Re: Bugs and Requested Features with the HP Prime and Related Software
« Reply #87 on: November 25, 2013, 06:20:48 pm »
Yeah, let's hope it's an isolated case, but i don't think so, unfortunately for many! :-X

Offline DJ Omnimaga

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Re: Bugs and Requested Features with the HP Prime and Related Software
« Reply #88 on: November 25, 2013, 07:11:23 pm »
Mine seems fine so far, despite many connections with the connectivity kit, to send or receive files. I wonder if he was using Send to Classroom or the regular Save feature? I heard that send to classroom worked differently.

Offline Han

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Re: Bugs and Requested Features with the HP Prime and Related Software
« Reply #89 on: November 26, 2013, 11:35:42 pm »
This one's more a suggestion than a bug: Despite being in CAS mode, using the Define box only creates 'normal' functions, not xcas ones.

Another bug: This program errors with "Invalid input" when I hit ENTER, yet works fine in debug mode:

Code: [Select]
EXPORT CURSOR()
BEGIN
LOCAL X,Y,K,C,P;
0▶X;0▶Y;0▶P;
WHILE 1 DO
 //WAIT()▶K;
 WAIT(.05);
 IF ISKEYDOWN(4) THEN
  RETURN {X,Y};
 END;
 IF ISKEYDOWN(2) THEN
  GETPIX_P(G0,X,Y)▶C;
  BITNOT(C)▶C;
  PIXON_P(G0,X,Y,C);
  Y-1▶Y;
  GETPIX_P(G0,X,Y)▶C;
  BITNOT(C)▶C;
  PIXON_P(G0,X,Y,C);
 END;
 IF ISKEYDOWN(12) THEN
  GETPIX_P(G0,X,Y)▶C;
  BITNOT(C)▶C;
  PIXON_P(G0,X,Y,C);
  Y+1▶Y;
  GETPIX_P(G0,X,Y)▶C;
  BITNOT(C)▶C;
  PIXON_P(G0,X,Y,C);
 END;
 IF ISKEYDOWN(7) THEN
  GETPIX_P(G0,X,Y)▶C;
  BITNOT(C)▶C;
  PIXON_P(G0,X,Y,C);
  X-1▶X;
  GETPIX_P(G0,X,Y)▶C;
  BITNOT(C)▶C;
  PIXON_P(G0,X,Y,C);
 END;
 IF ISKEYDOWN(8) THEN
  GETPIX_P(G0,X,Y)▶C;
  BITNOT(C)▶C;
  PIXON_P(G0,X,Y,C);
  X+1▶X;
  GETPIX_P(G0,X,Y)▶C;
  BITNOT(C)▶C;
  PIXON_P(G0,X,Y,C);
 END;
 IF ISKEYDOWN(30) THEN
  REPEAT
   MOUSE()▶P;
   P[1]▶P;
  UNTIL P[5]==#1;
  B→R(P[1])▶X;
  B→R(P[2])▶Y;
 END;
 END;
END;
END;

Not sure if this was ever addressed, but the reason you are getting different behavior is due to the fact that debugging necessarily means you touched the screen (you pressed "DEBUG" on the menu). The system processes all touches and signifies that it has finished handling the touch event via the MOUSE command. So when you call MOUSE, it actually returns the last touch -- you pressing the DEBUG menu option -- along with the signal that it was handled. However, when you run it from the command line (and presumably have not touched the screen), then MOUSE returns two empty lists -- which would result in invalid input later on when you try to pull elements out of empty lists.