Connectivity Kit on Mac

[Jacob Wall]

First, I don't have a Mac. I have an app that I instruct users to "drag and drop" into the Application Library of their calculator when connected to the Connectivity Kit. This works fine for me on Windows, but I have now had a few reports of this not working on Mac. Is there a different method to install third party apps on Mac?

[Jacob Wall]

I'll reword this slightly, maybe not many here using Mac?

How does one install a third party app on the HP Prime Virtual Calculator for MacOS? Or is it not possible?

[Tim Wessman]

Same as on windows. I've not heard anyone having issues with it. They might be dragging/dropping to the wrong spot possibly?

[Jacob Wall]

Thanks Tim. I just needed to be certain that it was highly likely that it was something the user was/wasn't doing rather than a limitation I was not aware of.

[tcab]

Here are the important drop targets of the connectivity kit:



There are two types of Prime program:

1. Individual .hpprgm program files filled with functions - these are common.
2. Less common are .hpappdir directories that represent whole 'apps' in the Prime.
   

Here are some tips I've learned, just in case it is helpful for anyone:

• Drag and dropping files from your file system into the connectivity kit content area (1) copies the files into a special connectivity kit area (which also happens to be in the file system, but in a secret-ish place).
• You can also drag .hpprgm files directly into a specific calculator's Programs area (2)
• You can also drag .hpapps directories into a specific calculator's Applications area (3).
• You can drag program files from (1) to (2) - in other words, from the content staging area to the calculator. You can also drag and drop app directories from (1) to (3). Existing content with the same name will be overwritten.
• You can copy from (2) and (3) of a calculator back into the Content staging area (3). However I've found that you need to delete any files with the same name in the content area as such content will not be overwritten and the copy will fail. Presumably this is to protect the Content area? Or perhaps its a bug. Update: Actually this is wrong. See my post below re the subtleties of dropping into the content area. If you carefully drop 'in between' files the copy will work OK and you will get prompted re any overwrite situations.
• You can copy program files between (2) and (2) of different calculators. For example I often copy from my real hardware prime to my virtual emulator prime - and vice versa. This bypasses the content area entirely.
  

Other tips:

• You can create subdirectories and organise your files in the content area. This 'content' area is unrelated to any calculator - its just a 'staging' area - a nice place to keep a master copy of all your programs.
• It would be typical to have lots of stuff in the content area (1) of the connectivity kit and a smaller subset of programs on any particular calculator (2).
• You can double click to edit .hpprgm files etc in the content area (1) - remember to CMD-S or CTRL-S to save.
• You can double click to edit .hpprgm files etc in the calculator (2) - remember to CMD-S or CTRL-S to save.
• Do not edit the same program on the calculator (via emulator or real hardware) as you are editing via the connectivity kit because the changes you make on the calculator will not make it back to the the connectivity kit. After launching the connectivity kit software, it will read the state of the programs on any connected calculator. Subsequently, the synchronising of program editor text is not two way, only one way - from the connectivity kit TO the calculator. If you have made changes on the calculator and want to keep them, quit and restart the connectivity kit program - the connectivity kit will read the latest version of calculator content on startup (and never again). Or alternatively, disconnect the calculator from the connectivity kit program by disconnecting the usb cable and then re-connecting it. Or if you are using the emulator - quit the Prime emulator and restart it. Update: Or more easily, as Didier mentions below, right click on the calculator and hit 'refresh'.
  

[Didier Lachieze]

(05-07-2018 07:32 AM)tcab Wrote:  

• Do not edit the same program on the calculator (via emulator or real hardware) as you are editing via the connectivity kit because the changes you make on the calculator will not make it back to the the connectivity kit. After launching the connectivity kit software, it will read the state of the programs on any connected calculator. Subsequently, the synchronising of program editor text is not two way, only one way - from the connectivity kit TO the calculator. If you have made changes on the calculator and want to keep them, quit and restart the connectivity kit program - the connectivity kit will read the latest version of calculator content on startup (and never again). Or alternatively, disconnect the calculator from the connectivity kit program by disconnecting the usb cable and then re-connecting it. Or if you are using the emulator - quit the Prime emulator and restart it.
  

If the last change you've done to your program is on the calculator you can synchronize it to the connectivity kit by a right click on the calculator in the Calculator Pane and then select Refresh.

   

[tcab]

Thank you Didier - great tip!

I've also just noticed that the exact way that you "drop files" is very important. Keep an eye on the shape of the destination graphic.


When dragging from calculator to content area - if the destination graphic drop zone is a rectangular box (see picture above with 'X') then your efforts will be repelled and fail. If the destination graphic drop zone is a single thin line (imagine that you are dropping "in-between" files) then the copy will succeed - so much so that if there is an existing file of the same name, a dialog will pop up asking if you want to overwrite.

However, when dragging from content area (1) to the calculator (2 or 3), it doesn't seem to matter if you drop over the top of a file vs drop "in between" files. Both work. And no overwrite prompt will ever be given.

This difference in drag drop behaviour is a little inconsistent and extremely subtle, in my opinion. And it can lead users into thinking they have copied a file successfully when in fact the copy has failed, esp. when copying from calculator to the content area.

[Jacob Wall]

Thanks for the pointers. On Windows, it seems it is impossible to have a failed drop, either on top of Application Library main folder, on top of other app names, in between app names, etc. Always seems to result in successful transfer. I have passed some of the suggestions along, will see if the precise drop area is causing the failed transfers.

[Jacob Wall]

In case this is reproducible, I will report what the end result has been.

So nothing worked with one of the individuals trying everything, but they were determined. I saw from a video that the procedure was good. Today I received this observation "I deleted and reinstalled. I found a quirk. I have to install the connectivity kit first before installing the hp prime app. I tried to do the other way round, but the [third party] app will not install if I did so."

For clarity, this involved the Connectivity Kit for MacOS and Virtual Prime Calculator for MacOS.