Title: makedb
Version: 1.0 beta
Size: 4805 bytes
Platform(s): TI-89, TI-92+
Author: Greg Dietsche aka GForce
Web Site: http://gforce.calc.org
E-Mail: gforce@calc.org

Description

   makedb is the on calc compiler that is used to create a database of auto complete text, aliases, and custom menu entries for ASH. It is out of date; editdb has taken its place.

Features

• compiles text files into a useable format for ASH
• it can either be compressed (ppg) or in normal asm format and still take parameters.
• to use it in ppg format, type ttstart("makedb","input file","outputfile")
• to use in asm format, type makedb("input file","outputfile")
• It needs to be rewritten... (READ: bloated by using fopen and related functions)
• If some one would like to rewrite it, or make a better compiler possibly with a user interface, email me!

How to Use

makedb takes 2 parameters. input file and output file, it automatically determines if a compile or decompile is needed.

example:  makedb("ashdat","mytxt")         decompiles ashdat and places the output in mytxt
example: makedb("mytxt","ashdat")         compiles the file called mytxt and places the output in ashdat

your calc can contain multiple databases with any name, but ash will only use the database called main\ashdat

• Text File Format for the compiler

            The compiler looks for these symbols which can appear in any order in the text file and occur multiple times... as long as they are the only text on a line (the comments are an exception however).

           *AutoComplete*
            *AliasCmds*
            *CustomMenu*
            **
            *

A description of the symbols:

*AutoComplete* signals the start of a section containing auto complete text each line following this symbol contains text that will be autocompleted...

*Aliases* signals the start of a section containing aliases. Each alias is made up of 2 lines; the first containing the alias, and the second containing the actual command
Example:
cls
ClearHome

which creates an alias so that if cls is typed, it is replaced with ClearHome

*CustomMenu* signals the start of a section containing text that should appear in the custom menu. Each line following will appear in the custom menu.

**  is a single (one) line comment

* is a multiple line comment. It is terminated when a valid symbol such as *AutoComplete* is found

Here is an example database in text format:

*My DataBase
*AutoComplete*
cls
clear
sin(
chess
*Aliases*
clear
cls
**
cls
ClearHome:ClrIO:ClrGraph
**
sin()
sin(ans(1))
chess
games\tichess
*CustomMenu*
chess
my
favorite
stuff

I have shown some fairly advanced capabilities in the example above. Here is a (hopefully) short explanation...
There are 4 auto complete entries: cls, clear, sin(, chess.

There are also 4 aliases: clear which is translated into cls, cls which is translated into ClearHome:ClrIO:ClrGraph. So it is possible to use aliases to aliases another alias... (Think Deep) and remember that order IS important!

sin() which is translated to sin(ans(1))... so if you type sin( and press enter (with autoclbr installed), it will be replaced with sin(ans(1)), saving you some time...
and finally chess which is translated into games\tichess, which is in turn launched by ash even though it is a ppg program!

The Custom Menu will contain 4 entries, chess, my, favorite, and stuff...

The order of precidence is always set by what appears first; so if you are being annoyed that aaa always pops up instead of abs(, move the abs( infront of aaa, and the problem will be solved.

Known Bugs

none

Future Features

A graphical compiler that is sorta like a suped up text editor...

Contact Me

gforce@calc.org
If you have any suggestions or bug reports please email me (I don't bite). If you don't understand this (documentation) please ask me I will try to help you out as best as I can. You may also want to visit my webpage at gforce.calc.org first though; I may have posted something there that could help you!

Program History

05/07//2001
initial release
4805 bytes