HP-41: New HP-16C Emulator available

[jonmoore]

(07-05-2022 07:13 AM)Ángel Martin Wrote:  

(07-04-2022 03:54 PM)jonmoore Wrote:  I also believe that the simulator should follow the default configuration of the hardware 16C by having a word size of 32 and 2's complement binary representation of signed integers. This is the most common binary representation on other calculators with binary functionality (apart from HP's RPL calculators, which require bespoke programs for 2's complement signed binary integer representation). It's great that you've extended upon what the 16C provides, but the defaults should be a facsimile of the 16C so things feel familiar for those with prior knowledge of the 16C.

Not sure I follow... the simulator has a default status is 32 bit word size and HEX mode, unsigned.
This is maintained (until changed) when you change the display BASE choice.

Are you saying that in the original HP-16C the complement mode CHANGES automatically to "2" when switching to Binary? That'd be weird...

Apologies I was using the term binary in its generic sense. The most important default value is 2's complement as the user otherwise encounters unexpected behaviour when converting a negative signed binary, hex etc value back to decimal.

It's front of mind as I've had to reset my DM41x often whilst using the 16C simulator.

My recommendation isn't specific to my use case as it's simple enough to trigger the 2CMP command. But I'm thinking of others that try out the 16C simulator for the first time, and in that use case, I think it's important that the defaults provide as friendly and familiar a user experience as possible. Most calculators that offer base conversions default to 2's complement mode for this reason (in fact, the majority are nowhere near as sophisticated as the 16C and the user cannot configure the complement setting so it's permanently in 2's complement mode).