WP34s: emulator feature request

[Dieter]

I really like the 34s and its emulator (I use the "classic" version, i.e. wp34sgui.exe), especially for their high accuracy results. But there is something I miss: copying numbers from the emulator ("copy number") only transfers the 12 displayed digits, not the full-precision 16-digit value (SP mode), let alone the 34 digits in DP mode.

I think this would be a very useful feature, and to be honest, I never understood why only the displayed digits can be copied from the emulator, while it is not possible to transfer the full-precision result to other applications.

Is there any chance that this could be implemented?

Dieter

[walter b]

That's Marcus' realm - he's quite busy in his bread & butter job currently.

d:-)

[BarryMead]

I asked this same question a while back and the response that I got was that
while it would be possible to copy the more accurate number out of the
emulator into the clipboard, one could not paste the more accurate number back
into emulator due to the data entry limitations, so to keep the cut and paste features
symmetric and reversible, it was not implemented.

Personally I think that if they really wanted to implement this feature, it could be done with full accuracy of the current mode for both cut and paste, but I got shot down when I suggested it.

[Dieter]

(10-30-2015 05:03 AM)BarryMead Wrote:  I asked this same question a while back and the response that I got was that
while it would be possible to copy the more accurate number out of the
emulator into the clipboard, one could not paste the more accurate number back
into emulator due to the data entry limitations, so to keep the cut and paste features
symmetric and reversible, it was not implemented.

Symmetry is nice, but usability is even nicer. ;-) Yes, I hate this "Too long error" when you want to enter a 16-digit value but 12 is all you can do. Reminds me of the TI58/59 where some tricks were required when you wanted to enter a 13-digit value.

On the other hand I do not see why this should limit the number of digits that can be entered via copy and paste. And even if it was absolutely impossible to paste a number with more than 12 digits I do not see why the user should not be able to get a 16- or 34-digit value out of the calculator. I often do calculations with the 34s emulator because of its extended precision, and there simply has to be way to transfer such a result to other applications.

(10-30-2015 05:03 AM)BarryMead Wrote:  Personally I think that if they really wanted to implement this feature, it could be done with full accuracy of the current mode for both cut and paste, but I got shot down when I suggested it.

Now there is at least two of us. And it's a feature request that really makes sense. So there is hope...

Dieter

[Paul Dale]

Better check out the Qt emulators

The classic emulator will get the same features once Marcus gets enough spare time to implement it there too.


- Pauli

[Paul Dale]

The raw copy and paste functions operate on the X register directly. They bypass the display code and the keyboard input routines which are the cause of the limitations.

However, this new code has only been lightly tested and it does not deal with erroneous input at all well. It shouldn't crash, but you'll get unexpected results if you paste something weird.

It also knows about integer mode and should work properly there with the same caveat.


- Pauli

[Marcus von Cube]

(11-07-2015 11:03 AM)Paul Dale Wrote:  The classic emulator will get the same features once Marcus gets enough spare time to implement it there too.

The 34S version of the classic emulator is ready for testing.

[Marcus von Cube]

(11-07-2015 11:10 PM)Marcus von Cube Wrote:  The 34S version of the classic emulator is ready for testing.

I've modified it to allow pasting of multiple numbers, e. g. from a spreadsheet. Each number is entered on the stack so that the last number pasted is in X and previous data is pushed. This might even work the same in the Qt emulators if Pascal rebuilds them.

[Paul Dale]

It should work the same in the Qt emulators once they are rebuilt. I've updated the menu items to match.

Are they really emulators? They don't emulate anything, rather they are more like ports.


- Pauli

[fhub]

(11-08-2015 12:44 PM)Marcus von Cube Wrote:  This might even work the same in the Qt emulators if Pascal rebuilds them.

I just saw that there's a problem with pasting even one number in yesterdays Qt build:
if you copy a complete line with a number and CR+LF at the end to the clipboard, then 'Paste Raw X' doesn't work in the Qt-emulator - nothing is put into X and pressing Rv or R^ gives a 'Domain Error' (does not happen on the standard emulator). So the Qt version has problems with linebreaks.

Franz

[Marcus von Cube]

(11-08-2015 01:40 PM)fhub Wrote:  So the Qt version has problems with linebreaks.

The central routine that handles the paste operation has been adapted to support multiple lines and therefore strips line breaks. The Qt builds are using a previous incarnation of this routine. After a rebuild by Pascal all should be working.

[Marcus von Cube]

(11-07-2015 11:10 PM)Marcus von Cube Wrote:  The 34S version of the classic emulator is ready for testing.

I've reworked the menus a little.

WP 34C is on the same level now. I hope I didn't break anything. I ask the authors to test the changes. It might be necessary to change the behavior of copy/paste for complex numbers. Any ideas?

[pascal_meheut]

The Qt emulators have been rebuilt and uploaded.

[Dieter]

(11-07-2015 11:10 PM)Marcus von Cube Wrote:  The 34S version of the classic emulator is ready for testing.

Great, and thank you very much – but where is it?
I could only find a new Qt-based emulator while the classic version is from 7/2014.

Now that copying/pasting numbers with full accuracy is possible (which really is a great improvement – I tried it with the Qt version) what about a keyboard shortcut? For instance Ctrl+Shift+C and Ctrl+Shift+V ?

Edit: I think I found the files now, using an old link in my bookmarks that led to the right directory on sourceforge.net (I didn't find a way to get there from the project's start page shown in your signature). There are nine new files. Do I have to download all nine individually and place them in the current emulator folder? At the moment my wp34s\emulator folder has older versions of the wp34s.exe, wp34sgui.exe and emulator.dll, but none of the six other emulator*.* files.

In other words: what do I have to do to get the new emulator running?

Dieter

[Marcus von Cube]

(11-08-2015 09:28 PM)Dieter Wrote:  In other words: what do I have to do to get the new emulator running?

Just replace wp34sgui.exe and emulator.dll. You wont need wp34s.exe at all unless you want to try Pauli's the console program.

I have yet to find out how to implement keyboard shortcuts. MFC programming isn't my favorite occupation.

[Dieter]

(11-08-2015 10:23 PM)Marcus von Cube Wrote:  Just replace wp34sgui.exe and emulator.dll. You wont need wp34s.exe at all unless you want to try Pauli's the console program.

If I knew how to use it I also would try the console version. ;-)

OK, I now replaced wp34sgui.exe and emulator.dll with their newest versions. Copying works great – finally you can get a number in full-precision out of the emulator. However, "Paste Number(s)" doesn't seem to do anything. ?!?

Dieter

[Marcus von Cube]

(11-09-2015 06:52 AM)Dieter Wrote:  However, "Paste Number(s)" doesn't seem to do anything. ?!?

It should. I tested between Excel and the calculator. Maybe there are still some bugs. That's what field testing is for.

[Marcus von Cube]

Dieter, can you try again? I've added some error checking code. You will get a domain error if the data cannot be correctly converted to numbers. Pasting stops at the erroneous line. With flag D set, NaN will be pasted instead and the paste loop continues.

[fhub]

Marcus, there's still a small problem:
pasting multiple numbers only works for the 1st time!

Try the following:
1) copy the 3 numbers (full lines) to the clipboard:
1.1
2.2
3.3
2) now paste them to the emulator --> working fine
3) now clear the stack (by [<-] and 3-times [ENTER])
4) paste them again to the emulator --> now you only have 3.3 in X, the first 2 numbers have disappeared (although they are still in the clipboard)

PS: after a few more trials it seems that [ENTER] is the problem:
whenever you press [ENTER], then a following paste doesn't paste all numbers but only the last one.

Franz

[walter b]

Marcus, pasting numbers doesn't work AFAICS. I selected four numbers in one column of an Excel sheet, copied on the clipboard and tried to paste into the emulator stack - no avail. Selected two numbers in one row, copied, and tried to paste - didn't work either. Selected just one cell with a number in it - didn't work either. Build 3832.

d:-?