TIB: TI-92+ BASIC questions & GraphLink comments

 

As a warm-up project for programming on the TI92 with the Plus module, I'm writing a user shell for the regression functions built into the the 92. I have these questions that I haven't been able to answer from reading the manual or news search. I'm using the GraphLink+ & it's beta software.

1. Are 'true' and 'false' built-in system variables? They aren't listed in the manual, but they act like it.

2. Is there a way to directly store to a data variable element? e.g., if the variable name is 'cdesc', and it has 3 rows and 10 columns. I can read any element with (cdesc[column])[row], but this syntax doesn't work to store an element. I've had to decompose the data variable to lists, store to a list element, and rebuild the data variable. This seems a kludge.

3. Is there any way to send program results to the home screen 'ans' area?

4. How can I programmatically develop a list of variables in a folder?

5. How can I programmatically change the folder?

6. I can graph results from my program, but the graph screen menu tabs aren't active. I would like to let the user zoom, find data point coordinates, etc, from within my program. Is this possible?

I have these comments/suggestions on the GraphLink+ software so far:

- should support resizable editing windows.
- should be able to automatically send all changed editing windows.
- should have keyboard shortcuts for most special characters, especially the comment symbol.
- should have a status window (bar graph or at least a status window) while sending.
- should have the 92 & 92+ manuals built-in as help or PDF files.
- 'find' should work across all open windows, and actually move the file view to display the found string.
- It is possible to move the cursor to an open window which doesn't have the focus. If I double-click to insert a special character, it goes into the edit window with the focus, not where the cursor is displayed. This is aggravating.

I have come from the 'dark side' of HP48 programming, and I have to say I'm fairly pleased with my 92 and the GraphLink software. It works well and makes sense.

I have had periodic link failures, which seem to be sensitive to which program module I send first. The failure is erratic & I can't pin it down, but it does require a reboot to fix.

I will eventually be programming in 68K assembler, and I am puzzled by all this shell jazz. Why can't I just 1) edit the assembly program in my favorite editor, 2) cross-compile on the PC, and 3) link it to the 92+ as an assembly program? And, to program in assembler at all, I need to know the internal data structure formats, addresses of internal functions, format of the LCD buffer RAM, etc. Where do I find all this? I am experienced in Mot assembler programming, but that's only part of the puzzle.

Thanks in advance for any & all help,

Doug