Plus42 Equations, Preview Release

[tgray]

Is there any way to disable the off button on ios?

[dd22]

(05-12-2022 12:00 AM)tgray Wrote:  Is there any way to disable the off button on ios?

Based on the documentation remove the app and then reinstall:

https://thomasokken.com/free42/#ios-off

[Thomas Okken]

(05-11-2022 05:22 PM)dd22 Wrote:  I can make PLOT to go into an infinite loop if I create an equation like:

Y=X^2+5*X+6

and set the XAXIS to Y and the YAXIS to X.

It seems like PLOT doesn't handle multiple solutions well.

Perhaps if there are multiple solutions in one orientation, it should flip the axes and try solving again.

If it works, then rotate the results to get the desired plot.

Could you post a more detailed scenario for getting into the stuck state? Specifically, what are your settings for XMIN, XMAX, YMIN, and YMAX? And can you get out of that state by pressing R/S, or is it completely unresponsive?

[Thomas Okken]

(05-12-2022 12:00 AM)tgray Wrote:  Is there any way to disable the off button on ios?

After you've enabled it using the YESOFF trick, the only way to disable it again is by uninstalling and reinstalling the app.

[tgray]

(05-12-2022 08:59 AM)Thomas Okken Wrote:  

(05-12-2022 12:00 AM)tgray Wrote:  Is there any way to disable the off button on ios?

After you've enabled it using the YESOFF trick, the only way to disable it again is by uninstalling and reinstalling the app.

Hmm that is weird. I had thought OFF didn’t work in Free42, which is they way I want it, but I noticed after installing Plus42, the OFF button in both programs is working? Not sure what I did but I definitely didn’t do YESOFF. I’ll try uninstalling.

UPDATE: as advertised, uninstalling fixed it. I tried this on my iPad where I’ve hardly used Plus42 yet. The only thing I’ve done was import a saved state from my computer. Is that how it could have gotten turned on? If so, that seems weird.

[Thomas Okken]

The off_enable_flag is saved as part of the shell state, not the core state, so it can't get set by importing a state file. The YESOFF maneuver should be the only way to turn it on.

(In the iOS version, the shell state is in config/state, and the core state is in the config/*.p42 files.)

[Werner]

What about local Alpha labels? Makes a program so much easier to read.
eg.
LLBL ABC (without quotes, but that's just an idea, to align with LBL A etc.))
..
LGTO ABC
and of course, they don't show up in the catalog.

BTW Thomas, if you have new beta versions, will they overwrite the official one?

Cheers Werner

[tgray]

(05-12-2022 12:09 PM)Thomas Okken Wrote:  The off_enable_flag is saved as part of the shell state, not the core state, so it can't get set by importing a state file. The YESOFF maneuver should be the only way to turn it on.

(In the iOS version, the shell state is in config/state, and the core state is in the config/*.p42 files.)

Ok cool. Somehow I enabled it on all my copies, but reinstalling fixed everything.

Question about custom units. I have a few defined, and they work as desired when assigned to the CUSTOM menu (custom unit name is appended to the number in the X reg). If I want additional custom units defined, but don't want them all in the menu, is there any way to quick enter and have the custom unit, and not its defined equivalent, show up in the X reg? I can do that if I type them in but that is a pain on the phone. If I enter the custom unit via RCL*, I get the defined equivalents, not the custom unit.

For example, I have defined sccm of nitrogen as "sccmN" (a gas flow unit, standard cubic cm), which is defined as to some mass flow in g/s. I would like to be able to quickly enter 25_sccmN and have it display as that, and not 0.000261_g/s.

Is a program my best bet? And just have a bunch of keys do X*1_sccmN to get the desired behavior? Is there some other more appropriate approach in a program to add a unit to a number in the X reg?

[Thomas Okken]

(05-12-2022 01:09 PM)Werner Wrote:  What about local Alpha labels? Makes a program so much easier to read.
eg.
LLBL ABC (without quotes, but that's just an idea, to align with LBL A etc.))
..
LGTO ABC
and of course, they don't show up in the catalog.

Hmmm... Interesting idea, but a big chore to implement!

(05-12-2022 01:09 PM)Werner Wrote:  BTW Thomas, if you have new beta versions, will they overwrite the official one?

Yes. The only downside to installing a beta is that the next App Store release won't be installed automatically. You'll have to do that by hand, in order for automatic updates to resume.

Note that this applies only to iOS. On Android, things aren't so tidy, because the Play store version is signed with a different key than the beta apks, so there you need to uninstall the current version first, if you're switching from a beta to an official release or vice versa.

[Thomas Okken]

(05-12-2022 01:50 PM)tgray Wrote:  

(05-12-2022 12:09 PM)Thomas Okken Wrote:  The off_enable_flag is saved as part of the shell state, not the core state, so it can't get set by importing a state file. The YESOFF maneuver should be the only way to turn it on.

(In the iOS version, the shell state is in config/state, and the core state is in the config/*.p42 files.)

Ok cool. Somehow I enabled it on all my copies, but reinstalling fixed everything.

On second thought, uninstalling is a bit more drastic than necessary... You can also use the Files app to delete the shell state, i.e. the "state" file, On My Phone -> Plus42 -> config -> state. (Same procedure for Free42, in fact.) Make sure Plus42 is not running before doing this, by using the task switcher to kill it first.

(05-12-2022 01:50 PM)tgray Wrote:  Question about custom units. I have a few defined, and they work as desired when assigned to the CUSTOM menu (custom unit name is appended to the number in the X reg). If I want additional custom units defined, but don't want them all in the menu, is there any way to quick enter and have the custom unit, and not its defined equivalent, show up in the X reg? I can do that if I type them in but that is a pain on the phone. If I enter the custom unit via RCL*, I get the defined equivalents, not the custom unit.

For example, I have defined sccm of nitrogen as "sccmN" (a gas flow unit, standard cubic cm), which is defined as to some mass flow in g/s. I would like to be able to quickly enter 25_sccmN and have it display as that, and not 0.000261_g/s.

Is a program my best bet? And just have a bunch of keys do X*1_sccmN to get the desired behavior? Is there some other more appropriate approach in a program to add a unit to a number in the X reg?

Using a program is your best bet, for now. It looks like I need to revisit the way CUSTOM works to make custom units more convenient.

[tgray]

(05-12-2022 03:10 PM)Thomas Okken Wrote:  On second thought, uninstalling is a bit more drastic than necessary... You can also use the Files app to delete the shell state, i.e. the "state" file, On My Phone -> Plus42 -> config -> state. (Same procedure for Free42, in fact.) Make sure Plus42 is not running before doing this, by using the task switcher to kill it first.

Using a program is your best bet, for now. It looks like I need to revisit the way CUSTOM works to make custom units more convenient.

Good to know about the state file.

I'm loving the units functionality. More convenient custom units would certainly be welcome, but as is, I am finding it very useful, so thank you.

[Thomas Okken]

1.0.3 is out now, with a fix to SOLVE that makes it better at recognizing it's stuck at an extremum, instead of bouncing back and forth indefinitely without making progress. In addition, PLOT has a fix that makes it say Invalid Data when any of XMIN, XMAX, YMIN, or YMAX is <Not a Number>, instead of freezing.

There's no change regarding the behavior with multiple solutions. When the Y axis is a variable (i.e., not <STK>), PLOT uses SOLVE with starting values of YMIN and YMAX, and it does not care whether the root was found using the direct or numerical solver, and it has no way of knowing if there are multiple roots, it will simply accept whichever one happens to be found. But note that it is usually possible to get a continuous plot by choosing YMIN and YMAX so there is only one branch of the curve between them.

The SOLVE fix will also be in the next Free42 release.

(05-11-2022 05:22 PM)dd22 Wrote:  I can make PLOT to go into an infinite loop if I create an equation like:

Y=X^2+5*X+6

and set the XAXIS to Y and the YAXIS to X.

It seems like PLOT doesn't handle multiple solutions well.

Perhaps if there are multiple solutions in one orientation, it should flip the axes and try solving again.

If it works, then rotate the results to get the desired plot.

[Steve Simpkin]

There is a very nice review of the Plus42 App on the Calculator Culture YouTube channel. It is a great introduction to Plus42.

   

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0QVl13Qfh9w

[jonmoore]

@Thomas, I've noticed an inconsistency in the 'Big Stack'. CLST, correctly empties all of the stack slots, whereas CLX adds a zero to stack slot 1 (Big Stack otherwise behaves correctly, without stack lift).

This is just a visual inaccuracy, as the stack correctly adds whatever value you next enter to stack slot 1.

I primarily use Big Stack as I'm less concerned with running legacy 42S programs than I am in using the new hybrid features of Plus42 (which includes classic keystroke programming). However, the more I use Plus42, the more I feel that Big Stack is underutilized.

I have my working area set up with 15 rows and 35 columns. This is very much influenced by my historic use of the 50g. However, the only real benefit I get from the extended UI real-estate is that equations are more legible as many fit on a single row and most fit in no more than two rows.

What I'd really like to see implemented is 50g style Matrix and Complex Number entry/visual feedback. These days I tend to stick to the HP Prime for CAS workflows but there's nothing more elegant than the 50g for working with matrices. For example the following keystokes:

[[1 2 3 4 5] 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15]

is automatically added to the stack as,



You set the number of columns with a single inset set of braces [] and the 50g automatically fills all subsequent number entries to the correct row and column position. Even though the Prime is the more modern hardware, when you have the 50g setup with its mini-font in the stack, the 50g is a vastly superior user experience when tackling linear algebra tasks (plus, there are some great RPL matrix libraries over at hpcalc.org).

The story's the same with complex numbers. Rectangular Format entry and visual feedback of complexes offers superior UX (better even than 35S complex entry/visual feedback).

I'm not suggesting you introduce RPL language on the Big Stack, just that you make better use of the real estate that's on offer with configurable rows and columns.

I still feel that Big Stack manipulation tools are far too hidden away in the CATALOG, but this issue will be less problematic when you introduce proper alpha entry. I did have one other thought on how this might be remedied. And that's via the USR keyboard. If the user is able to create custom command groupings of individual commands, they could e.g. create a single STK bespoke soft key with all the RPL style stack manipulation tools. I took heed of your point that these have the most utility when programming, but that for me means that ease of access is an even greater priority.

[Thomas Okken]

(05-15-2022 04:21 PM)jonmoore Wrote:  I've noticed an inconsistency in the 'Big Stack'. CLST, correctly empties all of the stack slots, whereas CLX adds a zero to stack slot 1 (Big Stack otherwise behaves correctly, without stack lift).

That's just CLX being CLX: it replaces the contents of level 1 with zero and disables stack lift, just like what it does in 4STK mode. The behavior you appear to be looking for is performed by the DROP function.

The [←] key performs CLX in 4STK mode and DROP in NSTK mode, in an attempt to be consistent with RPN vs. RPL behavior.

(05-15-2022 04:21 PM)jonmoore Wrote:  What I'd really like to see implemented is 50g style Matrix and Complex Number entry/visual feedback.

Me too! Those features are planned for 1.1, or at least the part where matrices and lists are displayed with more information than just [ MxN Matrix ] or { N-Elem List }.

[jonmoore]

(05-15-2022 04:57 PM)Thomas Okken Wrote:  

(05-15-2022 04:21 PM)jonmoore Wrote:  What I'd really like to see implemented is 50g style Matrix and Complex Number entry/visual feedback.

Me too! Those features are planned for 1.1, or at least the part where matrices and lists are displayed with more information than just [ MxN Matrix ] or { N-Elem List }.

That's excellent news.

I hope you'll also consider the entry aspect of my request too as 42S matrice and complex data entry isn't ideal. Especially seeing as we're no longer limited to the 42S hardware display. What was once an innovative workaround, given the limitations of the display, is cumbersome by modern standards, especially if you've spent any length of time with RPL calculators.

[SammysHP]

In 4STK mode, does it show the Last X register like the DM42?

Code:

L
T
Z
Y
X

[Thomas Okken]

(05-15-2022 06:36 PM)SammysHP Wrote:  In 4STK mode, does it show the Last X register like the DM42?

Nope. That's an option I plan to add in 1.1.

[nickapos]

Hi Thomas, apologies for the dump question but i want to import a state file exported from my iPhone to my android phone and for the life of me Plus42 can not view the file even though I know it exists.
I am using a pixel 4a with android 12. Am I missing any obvious permission here?

[Thomas Okken]

Regarding the permissions issue:
https://thomasokken.com/free42/#android-files

If you aren't able to save the file into that one directory Android still allows apps to access, should be able to use sharing instead: email the file to yourself, then open the attachment, and select Plus42 as the target app. The state file should be imported and you'll be taken to the States window, where the state will be among the list of states you can switch to.