Calculator Linking in Pure BASIC

thegamefreak0134 · Post by **thegamefreak0134** » Mon 05 Feb, 2007 9:41 pm

I thought it was possible to link between two random calculators using pure BASIC code (which I need to do for a project) and transfer data back and forth. The only way I have managed to get this to work is to have the user have to repeatedly push enter to get out of a pause. Is there some way to get the actual Send()/Get()/GetCalc() functions to work? I know at one time I had a method going where sending data on one would un-pause the other automatically, but I can't seem to get that to work again for some reason.

I am doing all of this testing between an 83+ and an 84+SE, which might have something to do with it. I can deal with the whole pause and un-pause thing, it's just a pain for the end user. Of course using an asm tool would make the thing work great, but for the purpose of this project (Alright, Alright, I'm writing tifreaks link routine for him, so I know how to interface with it) I would really like to not have to.

Thanks for any support.

-thegamefreak

kalan_vod · Post by **kalan_vod** » Tue 06 Feb, 2007 2:30 am

I am not sure, but I think you can put it in a loop (while or repeat that checks for a value to change) and the other retrieve it? If all else fails, use Bell by Timendus

Krid · Post by **Krid** » Tue 06 Feb, 2007 2:33 pm

kalan_vod wrote:I am not sure, but I think you can put it in a loop (while or repeat that checks for a value to change) and the other retrieve it? If all else fails, use Bell by Timendus

Speaking of Bell.. Could someone mirror it? Timendus' site seems to be down.

First post after being regged for over a year!

Edit: zOMG it's kalan!

Post by **benryves** » Tue 06 Feb, 2007 2:38 pm

I'd try and contact Timendus. archive.org doesn't have a mirror.

kalan_vod · Post by **kalan_vod** » Tue 06 Feb, 2007 3:36 pm

Krid wrote:
kalan_vod wrote:I am not sure, but I think you can put it in a loop (while or repeat that checks for a value to change) and the other retrieve it? If all else fails, use Bell by Timendus
Speaking of Bell.. Could someone mirror it? Timendus' site seems to be down.

First post after being regged for over a year!

Edit: zOMG it's kalan!

Krid! Give me a shout out when you get a chance (pm or email kalan.rock@gmail.com). I wish I had the file with me, but I think I have it on my pc >.>

thegamefreak0134 · Post by **thegamefreak0134** » Tue 06 Feb, 2007 4:54 pm

Bell looks really nice and all, but it's an asm library. Um, I don't mean to interrupt the off-topicness or anything, but *ahem* the title? It says BASIC in the title?

-gamefreak

PS: Still no luck, except when paused.

King Harold · Post by **King Harold** » Tue 06 Feb, 2007 5:45 pm

It is impossible, except when paused/idle. And its ofcourse the "sending" calculator which needs to be paused/idle.
How about using Omnicalc's LinkGet/Send?

thegamefreak0134 · Post by **thegamefreak0134** » Tue 06 Feb, 2007 9:27 pm

<sigh...> OK fine then, random pressing of enter it is then. I should be able to send entire lists this way though, so I can just do it all in one go. If not, the user will be sitting and pressing enter for a really long time.

I think I might be able to get it to look like it's behaving normally, like the game would. I could simply have it do a data transfer during every one of the screens in-between, where you have to save and such. The "host" machine would be determined simply by the one that managed to get to the screen last. (The other calc would already be paused, so the GET operation would succeed.) It's workable, now that I think about it...

kk, time to try to code this thing then. Wish me luck!

-thegamefreak

Post by **Dwedit** » Tue 06 Feb, 2007 11:41 pm

This works on a TI83:

Left calc:
Lbl 0
GetCalc(A
Pause
Goto 0

Right calc:
Lbl 0
Pause
GetCalc(A
Goto 0

Run the program on the right calc first. Getcalc wakes up the other calc from Pause mode.

crzyrbl · Post by **crzyrbl** » Wed 07 Feb, 2007 5:26 am

I want to try that out now...

thegamefreak0134 · Post by **thegamefreak0134** » Wed 07 Feb, 2007 8:05 am

Aye, but on the newer models this does not happen. Which is a real bummer.

I've used this method in the past, that's how I know it should work. Problem is, if I need the routine to run between various machines, I will need to actually have it be portable across different machines...

I'll see if I can work something up, and I'll post back when I have errors.

-thegamefreak0134

Krid · Post by **Krid** » Wed 07 Feb, 2007 2:36 pm

I actually wrote a somewhat decent full-BASIC multiplayer game. Sure, it was just a tag game, but it worked (AND it had bushes where you could hide!). I might as well upload that to ticalc.org, perhaps you'd be interested in seeing the source.

Edit: There, it's submitted

Timendus · Post by **Timendus** » Thu 08 Feb, 2007 4:14 pm

thegamefreak0134 wrote:Bell looks really nice and all, but it's an asm library. Um, I don't mean to interrupt the off-topicness or anything, but *ahem* the title? It says BASIC in the title?

I think they meant to point you towards the basic library thingy that I released that uses CLAP on the CLAP website.
http://clap.timendus.com

And thanks for noticing that my website was down; in fact my entire server had a major screwup some weeks ago (I host my own websites). But almost everything is back up and running now, including the CLAP and BELL websites.