newRPL: [UPDATED April 27-2017] Firmware for testing available for download

[Han]

(09-09-2015 08:49 PM)Claudio L. Wrote:  

(09-09-2015 04:17 PM)Han Wrote:  There should be two modes for menus: mode 1 uses only the main menu and behaves like the old HP48 series; mode 2 uses both main and secondary menus.

While I think it's doable, there are a few problems.
RPL commands like TMENU would become incompatible, because they need to know if the menu will show on dark or gray areas. Hence my proposal was only VARS on the gray. The rest goes always to menu 1. Also one menu would have 5 keys and the other 6 because NXT is not available. This makes again the page number change in TMENU. So if one menu has 5 Soft keys, the other one should too, therefore it's simpler to have a NXT soft key and lose one space than a dedicated NXT key with some complex interaction to handle 2 menus at once.

(09-09-2015 02:24 PM)Han Wrote:  In essence, NXT becomes a shift key for menus, to be used in conjunction with the arrow keys.

The keyboard driver doesn't allow other keys to act like shifts.

I should clarify. I did not mean that NXT should be an actual shift key. However, I recall that the 48/49/50 series could detect multiple keypresses all at once. Can we not detect whether an arrow key is pressed alongside NXT? If so, then would that not be sufficient? Regarding TMENU, it should just affect the main menu. If we wish to have the secondary menu have a similar command, then perhaps TMENU2 could be implemented. As for the 5 vs 6 issue, the secondary menu would actually have 6 menu keys. Using regular key presses (including shifts) would result in the same behavior as F1-F6. It's only when those keys are long-pressed that only 3 (now realizing that slight changes are needed) of the 6 would activate the softkey and switch to mode 1. Longpress on VAR would behave as it does now (toggling off secondary menu), longpress STO is normal STO and longpress NXT would be in conjunction with the arrow keys. I do not imagine users quickly and simultaneously pressing NXT and an arrow key; but should they, then these keys would presumably be parsed in sequence. However, if NXT is held down and then an arrow-key pressed, then the menus would shift pages as described.

Quote:

(09-09-2015 02:24 PM)Han Wrote:  should be a setting for GUI vs softkey interface like on the HP50G.

I don't think the dual interface on the 50g was a good thing, so my vote goes for not trying to replicate it.

Sounds good to me; I never did like the GUI interfaces.

I am slowly getting used to the current cursor, and agree that the double-tapping of alpha is much more efficient. I am sure that over time I will come to even prefer the cursor over my proposal of varied annunciator behaviors.