THIS THREAD IS ONLY FOR UPDATES TO MAKE THEM EASY TO FIND.  PLEASE DISCUSS IN THE OTHER THREADS.

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Axe Parser
Alpha 0.0.2

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New Features:

• String storage
• Display strings
• Display new line
• rand
• Don't display done
• Pause in milliseconds

An example program also included.

If you have any requests for new commands post your ideas here.  also, it would be helpful if you provide what you think would be a good syntax for that command.  Keep in mind that if you redefine a BASIC command, it should either be useless or there should be a way to still perform the old command in a different way.

Yes, I am hoping it will be all that and more. 

By the way, since this is a lot to take in, here is an example program to simply display the "getkey" codes for each key (which are different from the BASIC getkey.  Its the GetCSC codes for all you asm programmers)

Axe Parser
Alpha 0.0.1

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WARNING:
This is still an alpha version.  It is not stable and you should not run this on any calculator that has anything intellectually valuable in the RAM.  Just for liability reasons, I will also add that there is a non-zero possibility your archive might not be safe either.

Description:
It is a new programming language for the calculator.  It is typed directly into a program just like BASIC and with a similar syntax.  Unlike BASIC however, this is a compiled language, not an interpreted one.  The program gets compiled into an assembly program.  In the future you will be able to make Ion, MirageOS, and Doors programs; possibly apps too.

Advantages:
You basically get the simplicity of BASIC programming but with nearly the same size, speed, and compatibility of assembly programs.  You won’t need “Shells” or “Libraries” to run the programs.  They are just like any other assembly program.

Syntax:
It is similar to BASIC, but also very different.  First, it has an extremely loose syntax.  You know how you can leave the end parenthesis off of BASIC commands and do multiple same-line DelVars?  It’s like that on steroids (if you so choose).  For instance: the store “->” can be used in expressions like A+B->C+1->D so now C holds A+B and D holds A+B+1.

Differences With BASIC:
I will be re-defining a lot of commands.  Most are usually unused anyway, but some are not.  For instance, “DiagnosticOff” turns off the run indicator.  But “sub()” now runs a subroutine since you will be able to take characters from a string the same way you do with lists in the future.

Variables and Numbers:
All numbers and letters A-Z are 16-bit unsigned integers.  Unlike BASIC variables, they don’t reside in the user ram so they take up zero memory.  You might want to read about unsigned numbers on Wikipedia or something if you are not familiar with it.

User Defined Variables:
Things like strings, lists, sprites, and floats will be defined by the user.  However, I haven’t gotten to that point yet, but expect that soon.



There is no UI right now.  Select your program, which must be in RAM, from the list, which is not in alphabetical order, and it will compile into a program called “LOL”, you can’t name it right now.  I figured I’d get the compiler working before I get back to the UI.  I’ve also attached a document with the complete instruction set so far.

I’d like to hear your thoughts
I have too many ideas right now to put on paper.

I love this version!  I don't see anything wrong with it, except I'd change the pause key to mode.  The gameplay's great!  My favorite thing is the changing backgrounds.

I made it to the second level.  It's harder, but incredibly fun.  Thanks for such an awesome game!

I was wondering:  How much space is left in the App?

Thanks!  There is a little over 5k left in the app, not an issue.  But I've nearly ran out of safe RAM since I have to copy a lot of self-modifying code there plus I'm double buffering a grayscale screen.

You're right, I just tried this.  Reading from 'a' and 'b' really are faster than the standard variables since they are in specific locations, like the finance variables!

I wonder if there could be a version only for 15 MHz calculators that actually played sound as game goes on? I don't know how hard it would be, though, but Benryves did something similar before I believe. He even had four sound channels

Huh?  The game already plays music as the game goes on.  You just have to turn the music on in the options and plug in some headphones.


Oh and by the way for those who want a sneak peak, here ya go!  And thanks all you beta testers.  Just make sure you delete your beta versions before installing this because I changed a few things in the final version.

Pyoro v2.0

I can'twait for  tomorrow, when I can play.  Cheesy Did you change the volume level of the music, because I found it a little quiet, but incredibly cool. Is it possible to have an option for this?

There is no such thing as "volume level".  The port has digital output not analog, so there really isn't a way to control volume.  I don't have any headphones, I've been testing the sound with a little Peizo Transducer (a mini speaker for circuit boards.  The thing below:)

Its really really loud with this, I have to use a 2k ohm resistor because its so loud.  So I'm guessing that if it doesn't sound loud, its probably your headphones, they're not made for low voltage.

I tried the new version and it works great on the NSpire. But it is a bit slow (compared to the game run on my sister's 83+ ). Dunno, maybe the NSpire is slower than a normal 84+... Could you possibly add a "NSpire mode" option to make the game run faster? Mess around a bit with the interrupts, I'll tell you what setting is the best on the NSpire.

Unfortunately no 

Unlike a lot of other games, Pyoro used every singe clock cycle for something.  I don't even use interrupts because they slow the game down too much since I have to constantly enable/disable them plus back up all the registers every time the interrupt is called.  I mean even in my screen drawing routine, I'm using the extra clock cycles to double-buffer the background.  No "waste code" or "timing pauses" at all.

Now that said, I could make it so that it only redraws the screen once per frame rather than 3 times (It has to be an odd number of draw cycles), but then the grayscale will suffer severely.  It will look like a flashing checkerboard, but the gameplay would be twice as fast.


I think what I'm going to end up doing for the tongue mode is cap the speed at the second or third highest because if the tongue is extended all the way and a really fast fruit is falling above you, by the time the tongue retracts so you can move out of the way, you're hit!