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Development => PC, Mac & Vintage Computers => Topic started by: Ephraim Becker on March 24, 2015, 12:19:55 AM

Title: CalcPlay for Windows
Post by: Ephraim Becker on March 24, 2015, 12:19:55 AM
I feel like making a calculator linking software App for Windows 8\10 in Visual Basic that would compete with TI-Connect and TILP. I'm calling it CalcPlay. I'll try to post a mockup of CalcPlay later.
Title: Re: CalcPlay for Windows
Post by: Snektron on March 24, 2015, 02:31:48 PM
Sounds cool. IIRC BrandonW did some reasearch on the TI usb protocol, you might want to use that
Title: Re: CalcPlay for Windows
Post by: alexgt on March 24, 2015, 11:31:30 PM
Sounds cool will it just be linking software or will it have other features?
Title: Re: CalcPlay for Windows
Post by: Ephraim Becker on March 25, 2015, 12:52:40 AM
It will have other features also. I'm hoping to integrate an App Store into it. I'm still thinking what I want the UI to be like. It will be written in Visual Basic 2013.
Title: Re: CalcPlay for Windows
Post by: Unicorn on March 25, 2015, 01:02:33 AM
So you are attempting to sell programs from the application, or are you just going to provide an easy way to search for programs on Ticalc/Cemetech and download them to the calculator?
Title: Re: CalcPlay for Windows
Post by: Ephraim Becker on March 25, 2015, 01:04:03 AM
Provide an easy way to search for programs from ticalc.org and download them to the calculator
Title: Re: CalcPlay for Windows
Post by: Unicorn on March 25, 2015, 01:14:01 AM
Great idea!
Title: Re: CalcPlay for Windows
Post by: Dream of Omnimaga on March 25, 2015, 02:33:42 AM
TC01 made a tool that lets you download files from ticalc.org and other websites that can also be integrated in softwares or website download systems. Assuming you can actually pull off a linking software on your own (which will be hard considering how much effort was required to develop TILP), it would need unique features that make it stand out from the other established softwares. That file searching and downloading idea would definitively be one, but how hard is it to implement is another story. Also this most likely won't work with most JRPGs since they often have a complex install process.
Title: Re: CalcPlay for Windows
Post by: Yuki on March 25, 2015, 05:17:59 AM
A package manager that directly uploads the files to your calcs would indeed be interesting. If you want some help, there's libticalcs (ships with TILP) that could be usable.
Title: Re: CalcPlay for Windows
Post by: Duke "Tape" Eiyeron on March 25, 2015, 08:08:55 AM
I'm interested by the package manager for FiXos. It's way ahead of what we can do at this moment but a program that would send these such packages to the calc would be quite helpful. If we can get around the USB device, we would be able to set down a protocol to communicate with the calculator and possibly download files in background (highly improbable but that would be epic)

Edit : Revolution 909 posts.
Title: Re: CalcPlay for Windows
Post by: pimathbrainiac on March 25, 2015, 09:38:30 AM
If I may ask, why program it in VB? It would be much easier to do it in gnu c and use libticables/libticalcs, as well as making it  cross-platform (at least in source).
Title: Re: CalcPlay for Windows
Post by: Snektron on March 25, 2015, 11:12:02 AM
Maybe cuz the C Windows APi is very weird? :P
Title: Re: CalcPlay for Windows
Post by: Dream of Omnimaga on March 25, 2015, 11:16:52 AM
Quote from: pimathbrainiac on March 25, 2015, 09:38:30 AM
If I may ask, why program it in VB? It would be much easier to do it in gnu c and use libticables/libticalcs, as well as making it  cross-platform (at least in source).

Although I agree with you about this particular project, especially due to libticables/libticalcs and the fact it isn't started being programmed yet, I would like to reiterate that CodeWalrus welcomes contributions regardless of the programming language being used. http://codewalr.us/index.php?topic=36.0 Let's make sure to be careful in the future to keep language debate-related material outside author's project threads if a project is officially doable in the language the author chose (eg a BASIC or VB puzzle game) and to keep fanboyism out of the way.
Title: Re: CalcPlay for Windows
Post by: pimathbrainiac on March 25, 2015, 11:21:14 AM
Sorry about that. I meant it more as a suggestion. I didn't mean for it to be language-wars-y or fanboyish.
Title: Re: CalcPlay for Windows
Post by: Yuki on March 25, 2015, 12:53:49 PM
Quote from: Cumred_Snektron on March 25, 2015, 11:12:02 AM
Maybe cuz the C Windows APi is very weird? :P
You don't have to use the Windows API. You might as well use something like GTK like TILP did, or another completely different framework.

Actually, you can use pretty much every language as long as you can link libticables/libticalcs with it, such as C# or VB.NET, you don't have to use C. Maybe even a Metro app (which I assume is what you were aiming for in the OP, with Windows 8/10)? Use whatever language that best suits your needs. Anyway, I'm suggesting you to use libticables so it would be slightly easier for the linking, all the protocol would already be done for you.

And yeah DJ, you're right, but the point is more to figure out if the project is doable in the language he chose more than anything, in order to help said author and not see the project fall in oblivion because of bad choices. Conclusion: you would think it's not doable (because you'd think C libraries can only be usable in C), but it actually is, it's pretty simple to link a C library in every language that supports it.
Title: Re: CalcPlay for Windows
Post by: Dream of Omnimaga on March 25, 2015, 01:37:14 PM
Quote from: pimathbrainiac on March 25, 2015, 11:21:14 AM
Sorry about that. I meant it more as a suggestion. I didn't mean for it to be language-wars-y or fanboyish.
Nah your post in particular is fine. Just making sure that people don't misinterpret the line that they can't cross.

Besides, we could use a language debate thread one day. :P
Title: Re: CalcPlay for Windows
Post by: Snektron on March 25, 2015, 04:12:13 PM
Oh dear, That'll be fun
Title: Re: CalcPlay for Windows
Post by: Lionel Debroux on May 09, 2015, 10:13:02 AM
QuoteI feel like making a calculator linking software App for Windows 8\10 in Visual Basic that would compete with TI-Connect and TILP
Wow. This is an extremely bold aim, given the size and difficulty of the task of writing proper calculator linking software :)

For more information, see my long post at http://cemete.ch/p235167#235167 . In fact, I wrote that post, then I was made aware of that topic, so I expanded the content on Cemetech to widen the audience and perspective.
Title: Re: CalcPlay for Windows
Post by: Dream of Omnimaga on May 09, 2015, 02:37:37 PM
Quote from: Lionel Debroux on May 09, 2015, 10:13:02 AM
QuoteI feel like making a calculator linking software App for Windows 8\10 in Visual Basic that would compete with TI-Connect and TILP
Wow. This is an extremely bold aim, given the size and difficulty of the task of writing proper calculator linking software :)

For more information, see my long post at http://cemete.ch/p235167#235167 . In fact, I wrote that post, then I was made aware of that topic, so I expanded the content on Cemetech to widen the audience and perspective.
Thanks for the link and that post. Hopefully it benefits many people. Unfortunately for Ephraim, he probably cannot read it, though, since he is banned there and Omni, so it might be better to copy/paste the content in a quote here or another site.