Omnimaga

Calculator Community => Other Calc-Related Projects and Ideas => Topic started by: bfr on May 05, 2006, 01:08:00 pm

Title: MLC 3.0
Post by: bfr on May 05, 2006, 01:08:00 pm

MLC (Multi-Platform Language for Calcs) is an interpreted language for the TI-86 and the Casio AFX.  It was also being worked on for the TI-83+, but I'm not sure if it ever got finished.  

burntfuse, some of you may know him, was one of the people that helped make MLC for the TI-86.  He was working on MLC 3.0, but never finished.  I thought that MLC was one of the coolest things though and offered to help out.  I didn't really do anything yet, but I started making an on-calc help file in assembly for the TI-86.  I didn't get very far, but you can download it to see how's it's going to be formatted, etc.  Click http://savefile.com/files.php?fid=8691114 to download it.  I'll try to get some screenshots up soon.

Title: MLC 3.0
Post by: Dragon__lance on May 05, 2006, 03:30:00 pm

I remember that, i thought it was pretty sweet! :D Too bad it wasn't finished or ported to 83+'s though... :(

Title: MLC 3.0
Post by: Ranman on May 06, 2006, 01:28:00 am

I wish some one would pick this project up again. I, for one, would love to see MLC for all calcs.

Title: MLC 3.0
Post by: Alex on May 06, 2006, 02:16:00 am

I remember some really nice grayscale arcade games were programmed in MLC for the TI-86. They were very fast, MLC had a lot of potential. I hope you will continue work on the project, and that more people will join in.

- Alex

Title: MLC 3.0
Post by: g28401 on May 06, 2006, 11:11:00 am

sounds like it was cool...

Title: MLC 3.0
Post by: Radical Pi on May 06, 2006, 11:36:00 am

It would be great if its name was more truthful; (multi-platform).
Someone should port this to more calcs, or it could become the interpreted language for http://brazucs.unitedti.org/vera/forum/.

Title: MLC 3.0
Post by: bfr on May 07, 2006, 02:53:00 am

Here's a screenshot of what I did so far to the help file:

Title: MLC 3.0
Post by: Alex on May 07, 2006, 02:58:00 am

Nice job :) I want to program my 86 again!

- Alex

Title: MLC 3.0
Post by: Dragon__lance on May 07, 2006, 09:26:00 am

looks cool! Exactly how does MLC work again? Is it asm hybrid?

Title: MLC 3.0
Post by: Spellshaper on May 07, 2006, 09:43:00 am

I think the interpreter itself is written in Asm along with the editor.

Title: MLC 3.0
Post by: bfr on May 07, 2006, 10:55:00 am

The interpretor is written in assembly, but the code is edited with the built-in BASIC editor.  That's how it works on the TI-86; I'm not sure about the Casio AFX though.

Title: MLC 3.0
Post by: kalan_vod on May 13, 2006, 04:58:00 pm

Well if there is ever a version for the 83+ I will give it try :P, but I think it looks great as it is. Pacha (spelling?) made something similar, but it's mostly in French (the readmes) and it's rather large (takes almost all the app pages on a 83+).

Title: MLC 3.0
Post by: DJ Omnimaga on May 14, 2006, 03:48:00 am

nice to see its picked up again. I posted a link to this topic on the old EPS forums in case someone comes here and seek for MLC 86 progress.

kalan_vod; I think it was Kuda, but he stopped workign on it

Title: MLC 3.0
Post by: kalan_vod on May 14, 2006, 11:53:00 am

Ah, well anywho I would like to see this working on the 83+ one day (has anyone heard anything about someone working on the port still? or anyone willing to?).

Title: MLC 3.0
Post by: DJ Omnimaga on May 14, 2006, 12:43:00 pm

gimpynerd and the_unknown_one were planning on one in the early days of eps, but its dead now

Title: MLC 3.0
Post by: kalan_vod on May 14, 2006, 04:08:00 pm

Well just so anyone who knows how to port, I am really interested in this!!! I would love for this to be ported to 83+ :P

Title: MLC 3.0
Post by: bfr on May 19, 2006, 05:52:00 pm

I suppose I could learn more about the TI-83+ and try to port it...the TI-86 and the TI-83+ both run on Z80 processors so assembly for them probably isn't too different.....

Also, I just noticed that I have a whole forum for my project.   B)

Title: MLC 3.0
Post by: DJ Omnimaga on May 20, 2006, 02:30:00 am

Yeah tenniskid created it I think ^^ we are starting having lot of projects o.o the staff project section has like 25% of the whole forums posts to itself

Title: MLC 3.0
Post by: kalan_vod on May 20, 2006, 02:39:00 am

It would be great if you could, and if you needed some help you could check out the forums at maxcoderz.org, revsoft.org, and unitedti.org as they have some great z80 coders.

Title: MLC 3.0
Post by: bfr on May 20, 2006, 02:54:00 pm

I'll probably do that.  I'm already registered at United TI and RevSoft, but I'll have to register at MaxCoderz.  

This might be a bit off topic, but I found out a glitch in the MLC Sprite Editor for the TI-86 that allows the user to create a grayscale background for the calculator.  It's pretty cool, and when I go to the graph screen, the background gets repeated and parts get truncated, and the current equations graphed get a duplicate in grayscale behind them.  It messed up anything on my calculator that had to do with graphing and I had a quiz on graphing about twenty minutes after I figured this out at school.  I had to reset my calculator, which had some useful math programs.

Title: MLC 3.0
Post by: elfprince13 on May 21, 2006, 02:53:00 pm

perhaps we should concentrate on helping with a language like FastRPL or SLIDE which are designed specifically for 83+ series.

this would speed development and make it more likely to happen.

Title: MLC 3.0
Post by: DJ Omnimaga on May 22, 2006, 01:58:00 am

what is SLIDE?

Title: MLC 3.0
Post by: elfprince13 on May 22, 2006, 07:25:00 am

look at DetachedSolutions SoC page.

Title: MLC 3.0
Post by: bfr on May 22, 2006, 11:41:00 am

Good point.  MLC could be kept for the TI-86 and Casio AFX (and any other calculator that could use an interpreted language...).

Title: MLC 3.0
Post by: elfprince13 on May 22, 2006, 01:01:00 pm

my opinion is that if someone wants to write an MLC interpreter that is great, but there are already 2 other languages much closer to readiness on the 83+ series.

Title: MLC 3.0
Post by: Ranman on May 22, 2006, 01:15:00 pm

I have always been really interested in this MLC.

This would really be a fun product to see finished. Maybe even include some Sharp and HP calcs into the mix.

This would definitely require extensive knowledge of the calculator's hardware and the appropriate assembly language, but very doable.

Title: MLC 3.0
Post by: bfr on May 22, 2006, 01:20:00 pm

It would be nice to include some Sharp and HP calcs.  The only calculator that I really know a lot about is the TI-86 though.  I know some stuff about 68ks, but not enough to be a good 68k assembly programmer.

Title: MLC 3.0
Post by: elfprince13 on May 22, 2006, 02:13:00 pm

oh well. I dont really care so long as somebody starts something.

way to many projects get stuck in planning and never finish.

Title: MLC 3.0
Post by: Ranman on May 22, 2006, 05:22:00 pm

Does the source code exist for MLC -- both TI and Casio source code that is?

Who could we ask? Would they mind sharing it?

Title: MLC 3.0
Post by: DJ Omnimaga on May 23, 2006, 02:23:00 am

http://dysfunction.earthforge.com/?p=mlc-release.php

EDIT: wow look at EPS forums they are spammed to death by spambots now o.o

Title: MLC 3.0
Post by: elfprince13 on May 23, 2006, 05:47:00 am

that is sad. :(

Title: MLC 3.0
Post by: DJ Omnimaga on May 23, 2006, 06:30:00 am

they seems to like both dead forums and phpbb forums

Title: MLC 3.0
Post by: DJ Omnimaga on May 24, 2006, 10:46:00 am

btw thats MLC 2.0 discussion for Casio calcs http://www.casiocalc.org/?showforum=18

Someone on the old EPS forums suggested you discuss with the MLC 2.0 developper on Casiocalc.org in case it would be possible to have compatibility between both platform, otherwise it wouldnt be Multiplatform Programming Language anymore (hence the MLC name)

Title: MLC 3.0
Post by: bfr on May 26, 2006, 02:04:00 pm

Thanks for making that, Kevin.  I'll have to talk to the other developer.  

Even in MLC 2.7, there were some commands that could only be used on one of the calculators.

Title: MLC 3.0
Post by: DJ Omnimaga on May 26, 2006, 02:47:00 pm

yea I remember that. Good thing would be that Casio can handle strings with MLC and that all MLC 86 games work on Casio calcs  

Title: MLC 3.0
Post by: Alex on May 26, 2006, 02:51:00 pm

MLC is indeed impressive. I recall playing a space shooter game with 4 level grayscale that ran very fast on my 86. Again, I wish you the best of luck with this project, hopefully you will be able to pull it through!

- Alex

Title: MLC 3.0
Post by: DJ Omnimaga on May 26, 2006, 03:13:00 pm

http://dysfunction.earthforge.com/?p=MLC-pics.php

WARNING this take a LONG while to load. impressive stuff that can be done with this

Title: MLC 3.0
Post by: kalan_vod on May 26, 2006, 05:05:00 pm

QuoteBegin-xlibman+May 26 2006, 09:13 PM-->

QUOTE (xlibman @ May 26 2006, 09:13 PM)

http://dysfunction.earthforge.com/?p=MLC-pics.php WARNING this take a LONG while to load. impressive stuff that can be done with this

 I hate you no kevin! j/k But now I want this ported more than anything!11!!1!!!!111   I have seen the SS before, but man....they are amazing!

Title: MLC 3.0
Post by: bfr on May 30, 2006, 10:01:00 am

With MLC 3.0, even more amazing programs will be possible.  But unfortunately, it might be a little slower.  I'll see what I can do to make MLC faster.  btw it is about 95% finished  :) .

Title: MLC 3.0
Post by: elfprince13 on May 30, 2006, 03:34:00 pm

*drools*

Title: MLC 3.0
Post by: DJ Omnimaga on May 31, 2006, 02:37:00 am

providing it runs at at least above 6 fps for most games it should be cool ^^

Title: MLC 3.0
Post by: elfprince13 on May 31, 2006, 07:20:00 am

my 84+SE is waiting ^^

Title: MLC 3.0
Post by: bfr on June 03, 2006, 10:13:00 am

Vladik, from ticalcs.net, wanted to make his own language called "Sigma" for 68k calculators.  I thought it would be a good to expand MLC to 68k calculators, so Sigma is going to support practically all of the MLC commands and some more.  See http://sigma.ticalcs.net (the website is under construction though).

Title: MLC 3.0
Post by: DJ Omnimaga on June 03, 2006, 10:18:00 am

ooh that sound cool, that will help porting MLC games easier :)

Is Sigma on calc tho?  

Title: MLC 3.0
Post by: bfr on June 03, 2006, 01:10:00 pm

Yes.  

Vladik wanted to have Sigma be compiled, but MLC is interpreted, so that poses some problems.  If Sigma ends up requiring a compiler, then I suppose an on-computer compiler can be made.

Title: MLC 3.0
Post by: DJ Omnimaga on June 03, 2006, 01:38:00 pm

oh I c, but it shouldnt be a pb if we can paste the code from TI-86 graph link to the Sigma compiler without having to change too much things