CalcPlay for Windows

b/PC, Mac & Vintage Computers publicado por u/Ephraim Becker March 24, 2015, 12:19:55 AM

CalcPlay for Windows

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.

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u/Snektron 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

u/alexgt March 24, 2015, 11:31:30 PM

Sounds cool will it just be linking software or will it have other features?

u/Ephraim Becker 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.

u/Unicorn 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?

u/Ephraim Becker March 25, 2015, 01:04:03 AM

Provide an easy way to search for programs from ticalc.org and download them to the calculator

u/Unicorn March 25, 2015, 01:14:01 AM

Great idea!

u/Dream of Omnimaga 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.

u/Yuki 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.

u/Duke "Tape" Eiyeron 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.

u/pimathbrainiac 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).

u/Snektron March 25, 2015, 11:12:02 AM

Maybe cuz the C Windows APi is very weird?

u/Dream of Omnimaga 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.

u/pimathbrainiac 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.

u/Yuki 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?

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.

Last Edit: March 25, 2015, 01:02:41 PM by Juju