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Tugdual · 03-05-2015, 08:42 AM

I was looking for →HMS and HMS→ for minutes and finally found that Left Shift (purple) was calling menus on digital keyboard when the case printing only shows right shift functions (green). Very tricky! Are there many other hidden features like that?

Thomas Radtke · 03-05-2015, 11:55 AM

The shift key action is generally quite hidden but useful.

From memory:

On variables: green+var = rcl/edit, purple+var = store

On units: green+unit = multiply, purple+unit = divide

**rprosperi** · 03-05-2015, 02:45 PM

(03-05-2015 08:42 AM)Tugdual Wrote: I was looking for →HMS and HMS→ for minutes and finally found that Left Shift (purple) was calling menus on digital keyboard when the case printing only shows right shift functions (green). Very tricky! Are there many other hidden features like that?

Yes, there are MANY key assignments on both the 48 and 49/50 series that are not printed on the keyboard. Only the manual would have all of them listed in one place, but as you learn the keyboard you will see that there is a method to the madness; the assignments make sense and become intuitive once you understand how the systems work, and they are convenient and easy to learn, but printing them all would be far too crowded.

Thomas has shown some good examples - the VAR Rcl and Sto keys follow the color assignemts for the analogous RCL an STO explicit commands.

Sanjeev Visvanatha · 03-05-2015, 04:28 PM

Speaking of the manual. If you have not already done so, a copy is available to download from the HP site:

http://h10025.www1.hp.com/ewfrf/wc/manua...duct=60713

Tugdual · 03-05-2015, 08:19 PM

Thank you all for your kind replies. Looks like a manual is not an option. I started to read the scanned PDF but I also decided to purchase a second hand paper version which I found in my language for a good price on the net. Here we go :-)

Frido Bohn · 03-06-2015, 11:42 AM

(03-05-2015 02:45 PM)rprosperi Wrote: Yes, there are MANY key assignments on both the 48 and 49/50 series that are not printed on the keyboard.

Sometimes it is really awkward to find the commands, even if you are an experienced user. In the HP50 for example, to get "->HMS" you have to type "right-arrow" "time", browse & select "4. Tools", and type "NXT" to have the soft menu with the desired command in front of you.
However, there is a remedy. In the HP48 and HP50 series (and I suppose it's also true for the HP49) you can create a "custom menu". Simply create a variable named "CST" that contains a list with your must beloved commands, programs or other stuff you find useful. Amazing is that you can create a separate "CST" per directory.
In the HP48 you can access your customized menu via the "CST" key (letter "I"), and for the HP50 it is "CUSTOM" (left-arrow letter "H"). Especially for the HP50, this approach saves you a lot of keystrokes.

Cheers
Frido

Thomas Ritschel · 03-06-2015, 12:15 PM

(03-05-2015 02:45 PM)rprosperi Wrote: Thomas has shown some good examples - the VAR Rcl and Sto keys follow the color assigments for the analogous RCL an STO explicit commands.

Unfortunately this (the color assigment) isn't true for the HP-49g+/50g anymore.
On the (black) 50g RCL is left (white) shifted, but recalling a variable/program is right (orange) shifted.

I've lost quite a few programs on the 49g+/50g just by pressing the wrong shift key when following the "color rule"...

**rprosperi** · 03-06-2015, 01:45 PM

(03-06-2015 11:42 AM)Frido Bohn Wrote:
(03-05-2015 02:45 PM)rprosperi Wrote: Yes, there are MANY key assignments on both the 48 and 49/50 series that are not printed on the keyboard.

Sometimes it is really awkward to find the commands, even if you are an experienced user. In the HP50 for example, to get "->HMS" you have to type "right-arrow" "time", browse & select "4. Tools", and type "NXT" to have the soft menu with the desired command in front of you.
However, there is a remedy. In the HP48 and HP50 series (and I suppose it's also true for the HP49) you can create a "custom menu". Simply create a variable named "CST" that contains a list with your must beloved commands, programs or other stuff you find useful. Amazing is that you can create a separate "CST" per directory.
In the HP48 you can access your customized menu via the "CST" key (letter "I"), and for the HP50 it is "CUSTOM" (left-arrow letter "H"). Especially for the HP50, this approach saves you a lot of keystrokes.

Cheers
Frido

The CST feature is actually very powerful (and potentially complex) and allows you to include complete programs and logic, SysRPL, etc. in the key "assignment". It is documented, but relatively arcane. The best guide is simply this: You CAN assign anything you want to any key, just think thru what you want to use often and work thru the list definitions. Always backup first. Wink

**rprosperi** · 03-06-2015, 01:50 PM

(03-06-2015 12:15 PM)Thomas Ritschel Wrote: Unfortunately this (the color assigment) isn't true for the HP-49g+/50g anymore.
On the (black) 50g RCL is left (white) shifted, but recalling a variable/program is right (orange) shifted.

Its funny you mention this. When I replied, I had a 50g next to me but no 48G. I noticed (again) that they broke this color alignment rule on the 50g (and wondered again - why did they do that?) but having learned it first on the 48 knew the advice was right.

Quote:I've lost quite a few programs on the 49g+/50g just by pressing the wrong shift key when following the "color rule"...

I don't know what you mean. This has never happended to me. Wink

Dave Britten · 03-06-2015, 06:45 PM

If you accidentally overwrite a variable with the wrong shift key, you can get the old contents back if you immediately execute Last Arg. (On the 48GX, anyway. I assume the 50G is the same.) Another good reason not to disable Last Arg.

Thomas Ritschel · (This post was last modified: 03-06-2015 08:08 PM by Thomas Ritschel.)

(03-06-2015 06:45 PM)Dave Britten Wrote: If you accidentally overwrite a variable with the wrong shift key, you can get the old contents back if you immediately execute Last Arg. (On the 48GX, anyway. I assume the 50G is the same.) Another good reason not to disable Last Arg.

Thanks, Dave, for bringing this to my attention again!

While I was aware of this pretty nice feature on the 48, until now I had the impression that Last Arg (e.g. right shift ARG) doesn't work on the 50g. But a little googling revealed that it just got a new name: ANS (left shift ENTER).
This makes my life with the 50g much less painful...

Tugdual · (This post was last modified: 03-06-2015 09:33 PM by Tugdual.)

The more I explore the 48G the more I understand where the 35s comes from (very far distance) and what is so inept about the Prime. The 15C is definitely a different breed.
About the 48, the first word that comes to my mind is: consistency.
Coming from the 15C it was the first time I had to push a register name on stack before I press STO. That simple thing was a shock that told me a lot about the inherent logic of the machine. Also I used to be against infinite stack on the Prime until I saw all the stack operators on the 48G that now totally make sense. Anyway it is not fair to compare, the Prime being hardly a RPN machine. I think the dream machine could be a Prime with a 48G OS... Let me think.. an anniversary emulation of the 48G on a Prime derived hardware!