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(3.a) AMS native ("NOSTUB") Programs
TICT-Explorer is a file explorer for the TI-89 and TI-92+. Its features include:
- AMS native ("NOSTUB") program, runs on any and all AMS versions with no kernel installed
- The usual functions like create folder/copy/move/rename/archive/lock etc.
- Execution of exe-packed programs without their launchers
- Support for eBooks, ScottFree Driver Adventures, Quill Files, PIC Variables, TEXT Variables, and PPIC Files
- Shortcut keys for programs and files
- Six-level battery strength indicator
- Crash protection
- Password protection
- Integrated hex viewer for other files
- Info screen (gives many details about your calculator and the selected file or folder)
- One-Key archiving/unarchiving
Files included in the TICT-Explorer distribution:
- TICTEX.EXE The launcher for TICT-Explorer (required)
- TICTEXPL.LIB The library file for TICT-Explorer (required)
- TICTEXPV.EXE The picture viewer for TICT-Explorer (not required)
[Left] and [Right] Switch between folder and file window panes [Up] and [Down] Highlight files or folders [2nd][Up] and [2nd][Down] Move to the top and bottom (respectively) of the current list [Enter] and [Apps] Execute or view highlighted file [2nd][Number] Assign shortcut [Diamond]+[Number] to highlighted file [Diamond][Number] Execute or view file assigned to respective shortcut key [F1] Open File menu [F2] Open Favorites menu [F3] Archive highlighted file or selected files(s) [F4] Check highlighted file or toggle selection state of all files in a folder when in the folder list [F5] Display Info Screen [Backspace] Delete highlighted file or selected file(s) [Diamond][+] Increase contrast [Diamond][-] Decrease contrast [Esc] Quit TICT-Explorer [2nd][On] Turns calculator off [Letter] Jumps to next file or folder that starts with this letter (Note: on the TI-89 there is no need to press [Alpha] first)
(2.a) Controls for F1 Menu (Push F1, then...)
- [1] Delete selected file(s)
- [2] Copy selected file(s)
- [3] Rename selected file(s)
- [4] Move selected file(s)
- [5] Create new folder
- [6] View selected file in Hex Viewer
- [7] Lock or Unlock selected file(s) depending on their previous state(s)
- [8] Change Password
- [9] Lock Calculator (Requires password; calculator will turn off and will not return to TICT-Explorer without the password)
- [0] Help
(2.b) Controls for the F2 Menu
- [1]-[9] Run program assigned to shortcut [Diamond][Number]
- [0] Clear all favorites
(2.c) Controls for Hex Viewer
- [Up] and [Down] Move up and down a page
- [2nd][Up] and [2nd][Down] Move to the top and bottom page, respectively
- [Esc] Quit Hex Viewer
(2.d) Controls for TICTEXPV
- [Arrow Keys] Pan (if larger than screen)
- [+] Increase fps (frames per second) of animated pictures
- [-] Decrease fps of animated pictures
- [Diamond][Left] and [Diamond][Right] Adjust grayscales
(2.e) Info Dialog
- Active Folder Displays the name of the active folder and how many files are in it.
- Active File Displays the name of the active file and how many bytes it occupies.
- Handle/Address Displays the handle number and the memory offset of the active file.
- Handles Free Displays the number of free handles available to your calculator.
- RAM Free Displays the amount of RAM available to your calculator.
- Archive used Displays the amount of FlashROM your calculator uses.
- Archive free Displays the amount of FlashROM available to your calculator. (Note: This number is less than what TIOS's Mem menu displays (by 65536 bytes). TIOS requires these 64 kilobytes of archive space for garbage collection, so the amount displayed by TICT-Explorer is accurate, while the amount displayed by the TIOS Mem menu is not accurate (nor has it ever been). If you wish to verify this, run the TIOS BASIC command getConfig().)
- Top of Estack Displays the address of the top of the expression stack.
- Battery state Displays the strength of the batteries, with 6 being the strongest and 0 being dead.
TICT-Explorer has support for running several different types of programs without having to first run the viewer or executor normally required for such programs. The following file types are supported:
(3.a) AMS native ("NOSTUB") Programs
- Extension: EXE
- Required Launcher: None (built-in)
- Behavior: Runs program normally.
(3.b) Exe-packed Programs
- Extension: ppg
- Required Launcher: None (built-in)
- Behavior: Runs program normally: there is no need to use its launcher
(since v1.10 kernel-dependent exepacked programs are supported, too).
(3.c) Kernel-based Programs
- Extension: ASM
- Required Launcher: Universal OS v1.30 or later (located at ftp://jm.devel.bourges.net/) or PreOS (located at http://www.timetoteam.fr.st) must be installed for kernel-based programs to work.
Note: Universal OS and PreOS are the only kernels that have been reliably installed and operated with TICT-Explorer without causing any conflicts. Use of DoorsOS and TICT-Explorer is strongly discouraged due to incompatibilities. Universal OS or PreOS will not install from within TICT-Explorer; see Incompatible Programs for more details.- Behavior: Runs program normally.
(3.d) TI-Pictures
- Extension: PIC
- Required Launcher: None (built-in)
- Behavior: Views picture normally.
(3.e) eBooks
- Extension: ebk
- Required Launcher: eBook v1.70 or above (Click for TI89 and TI92+ versions)
Note: eBook can be located in any folder in the calculator; TICT-Explorer will find it.- Behavior: Select the book and press [Enter]. The book will execute automatically.
(3.f) ScottFree Adventures
- Extension: SDBF
- Required Launcher: ScottFreeDriver v1.7 (Click for TI89 and TI92+ versions)
Note: only the scottpck.ppg file is required and it can be located anywhere on the calculator.- Behavior: Select the ScottFree Adventure and press [Enter]. The game will execute automatically.
(3.g) Quill Adventures
- Extension: EXE
Note: Yes, this is also the extension for AMS native ("NOSTUB") executables, but you will see the title of the quill adventure instead of "NOSTUB program" in the status bar.- Required Launcher: Quill-Interpreter (download TI-89 version or TI-92+ version
Note: Quill-Interpreter can be located anywhere on the calculator.- Behavior: Select the Quill adventure and press [Enter]. The game will execute automatically.
(3.h) TEXT Variables
- Extension: TEXT
- Required Launcher: None (built-in)
- Behavior: TICT-Explorer displays the text file. Press [Esc] to exit.
(3.i) Basic PRGM and FUNC Files
Extension: PRGM/FUNC
- Required Launcher: None
- Behavior: TICT-Explorer will automatically exit and paste the name of the program into the TIOS command line.
(3.j) PV-Viewer Pictures
- Extension: PPIC
- Required Launcher: TICTEXPV (included with the TICT-Explorer distribution)
Note: TICTEXPV can be located anywhere in the calculator.- Behavior: Select the PPIC file and press [Enter]. The picture will automatically be displayed. Use the controls outlined in section 2.d to view a picture.
(3.k) Other Files
Files of other types will be viewed with the integrated Hex Viewer. Any file may be viewed with the Hex Viewer by highlighting the file and pressing [F1], [6].
Please notice that, due to the method TICT-Explorer uses to explore folders, all external files that a program needs (example: ppg files for exepacked program starters, config files, external levels) need to be in the same folder as the program. This is contrary to what the TIOS expects.
The following types of programs are incompatible with TICT-Explorer:
And, of course, myself (thomas.nussbaumer@gmx.net) for the rest ;-)
This program may be distributed by any other website for non-commercial use only.
DISTRIBUTIONS ON ANY OTHER MEDIUM (Disc,CD-ROM,DVD etc.) are PROHIBITED without separate allowance of the author.
The author makes no representations or warranties about the suitability of the software and/or the data files, either express or implied. The author shall not be liable for any damages suffered as a result of using or distributing this software and/or data files.
You are free to re-use any part of the sourcecode in your products as long as you give credits including a reference to the TICT-HQ (http://tict.ticalc.org/).
If you find a bug in TICT-Explorer, or have some suggestions, you are encouraged to visit the TICT's forums at http://pub26.ezboard.com/btichessteamhq. The TICT-HQ website is at http://tict.ticalc.org/.
The following list (sorted by priority) holds some features which are scheduled for later releases (1.40 and 1.50):
- Update to TIGCC 0.95 and optimize (started for 1.40, size decreased by 5 KB so far, won't gain much more). Three things will happen on the launcher / crash protection part:
* TIGCC 0.93 -> 0.95 port.
* TI-89 Titanium support.
* file reorganization.
We'll have to strongly and carefully check that part for the absence of bugs...- Implement _nostub standard comment reading (1.40, take code from the test program by Kevin).
- Define and implement a standard for comments within PPG files (1.40).
- Compression (1.40, requires GUI modification):
* LZFO1 compression/decompression, Francesco said he was ready to help, but he hasn't much free time.
* LZMA decompression if we use it in TIGCCLIB - which I hope and support.- Display file type in F5 info screen (1.40).
- Parse TI-BASIC programs to look for and display a comment (1.40).
- Display amount of RAM used in F5 info screen (1.40).
- Usage of [DIAMOND]+[DOWN] -> page down in explorer and viewers (1.40).
- Usage of [DIAMOND]+[UP] -> page up in explorer and viewers (1.40).
- Improve text viewer (started for 1.40).
- Copying a file to the same folder by changing first 3 letters of filename to 'cpy' or adding this to the front of the filenames if their length is 5 or less (1.40).
- Add battery state and time on AMS 2.07+ to main screen (status line) (1.40).
- Delete/move/rename/restore archived files (with request "are you sure?") (1.40).
- Check for reserved variable names before executing operations like archiving, with TokenizeSymName (1.40).
- File sorting options (alphabetical, reverse-alphabetical, size...), search capabilities (search in files...) - reusing a part of the tthdex code may be possible (1.40 ?). That would go with an
- Options / settings dialog (1.40 ?).
- Stable support of kernel-based programs (was it already done, what does that mean ?).
- Hidden folders/files support: Currently, the TICT-Explorer won't support hidden folders/files, because the GUI have to be restructured completely for this feature. Why? Well, hidden folders/files have to be marked in some way as hidden...
- Add an expression viewer (Samuel ?).
- Archiving/unarchiving of configfile.
- Trapping of reset key combinations for better password protection. However, does this really make sense? If you forget your password you have to remove the batteries...
The following list (not unsorted by priority) holds some features which may or may not be implemented after 1.50:
- Link-Support in the TICT-Explorer. Yet I have no idea how to implement this, but receiving files within the TICT-Explorer could be useful...
- Customizable intro by using an external file which is called from the launcher during decompression...
- Maybe compressed folders (TTArchives???).
- A TSR popup during program execution with these options: terminate program/turn off calc/make screenshot.
- Installation of the explorer as TSR.
- Customizable Extension<->Viewer relations.
- Add stable support for Tezxas (Samir Ribic) ?
- Add support for TI-89 Z-Machine (Nils Gesbert) ?
- Relocation functionalities for kernel-based programs to run them when no kernel is installed (note: this is useless to me and bloats the program).