Nonpareil 0.42
#1

Nonpareil 0.42 adds Nut processor support, and specifically simulation of the HP-41CV. Some Voyager support is present but not yet debugged.

The annunciators are not yet displayed. There is not yet any way to save the calculator state (including RAM), so it always starts up with "MEMORY LOST". Thus it doesn't yet obsolete NSIM, though it will in the near future.

I've bribed a friend to do a Windows port. However, I'm considering selling it rather than making it free software. (The Linux/Posix version will remain free.) I'll have to check whether there is any issue with proprietary software dynamically linking to the GTK+ toolkit and related libraries. I'll also have to provide my own scans of the calculators.

#2

Eric:

I would very much like to (eventually) have the Windows version, even if a not-so-large amount is to be paid. Please, in such case, use PayPal or a credit card accessible for international users.

I would suggest two features for your "product":

First: No need to recompile, etc; it should run from the distributed files with a simple install process (standard user mode). However, enough details should be available for tweaking/learning/trying things in a "what if" manner, like ROM entry points, ROM editing by the user, etc. This may be an "Expert mode" sort of feature. A tutorial would be nice, too.

Second: If you like to run the emulatd calculators just as virtual replicas for everyday use, then the numeric keypad on the PC keyboard should allow at least for number and decimal point entry, Enter, and the four standard arithmetic operations. Roll down should work from the cursor down-arrow (I think there are no roll-ups you need to care about in these models, but eventually up-arrow would do). Cursor right arrow may mean X<>Y, and cursor left arrow may be CLx. While the rest of the keys man need the mouse to operate with on the GUI, these assignments would make for a rather usable calculator. An editable keyboard mapping file would also be a great addition (keep in mind the different language-specific keyboard layouts, ans the fact that notebooks have different layouts by themselves).

Best regards ans congratulations for such an important development.

#3

Quote:
Please, in such case, use PayPal or a credit card accessible for international users.

Yes, Paypal is what I have in mind.

Quote:
First: No need to recompile, etc; it should run from the distributed files with a simple install process (standard user mode).

Yes, it will most likely be distributed as a ZIP file containing a .EXE installer.

Quote:
However, enough details should be available for tweaking/learning/trying things in a "what if" manner, like ROM entry points, ROM editing by the user, etc.

Nonpareil does not know or care about ROM entry points. It uses separate files containing ROM code, so these can be edited by the user as desired, although Nonpareil will not particularly help (or hinder) such modification.

Quote:
Second: If you like to run the emulatd calculators just as virtual replicas for everyday use, then the numeric keypad on the PC keyboard should allow at least for number and decimal point entry, Enter, and the four standard arithmetic operations.

Already done.

Quote:
Roll down should work from the cursor down-arrow (I think there are no roll-ups you need to care about in these models, but eventually up-arrow would do). Cursor right arrow may mean X<>Y, and cursor left arrow may be CLx.

I hadn't thought of those, but that seems like good defaults. I'll put them in.

Quote:
An editable keyboard mapping file would also be a great addition (keep in mind the different language-specific keyboard layouts, ans the fact that notebooks have different layouts by themselves).

Already done. Nonpareil uses a extended/modified variant of the KML files used by Emu48. The keyboard mapping is configurable.

Thanks for the suggestions!

#4

OLDER QUOTE:

" "Roll down should work from the cursor down-arrow (I think there are no roll-ups you need to care about in these models, but eventually up-arrow would do). Cursor right arrow may mean X<>Y, and cursor left arrow may be CLx." "



I strongly disagree with cursor left arrow as CLx !!

It is not only prone to accidents, but that keys "usually" invokes the Graphics screen!!!

The one-digit corrector eg. backspace acts CLx when there is no command line OR on non-RPL models it IS the CLx



The other suggestions seem good on "standard" environment.
[VPN]

#5

Quote:
I strongly disagree with cursor left arrow as CLx !!
It is not only prone to accidents, but that keys "usually" invokes the Graphics screen!!!
The one-digit corrector eg. backspace acts CLx when there is no command line OR on non-RPL models it IS the CLx

For the forseeable future, Nonpareil only simulates calculators that predate the Saturn processor. I may someday add support for Saturn-based calculators including those using RPL, but since other people have already written simulators for those, it's not high on my priority list.

None of the pre-Saturn calculators have any concept of a graphics screen. And none prior to the HP-41C have a backspace for number entry.

In any case, you will be able to customize the keyboard layout if you don't like the defaults.

#6

Backspace may be a better option for CLx. If keyboard assignment is configurable, then each person may have his/her choice; which is the best possible situation.

What I would not like:

a) The need to click with a mouse on the screen, specially for number entry. And better yet, if the "Stack Group Keys": Enter, X<>Y, Rv, CLx could be "pressed" without the mouse. There may be issues with CHS (as different from the subtraction "minus"... may "Shift minus" be an option?) and, to a lesser extent, with EEX ("E" may be a logical choice, there may be others).

b) The usage of some keys like "<" or ">" on the main PC keyboard, which vary in location due to national language layout variations (for instance, this was a big problem for me when I used MS Flight Simulator with a non-US keyboard some years ago)

c) As notebooks usually don't have a separate numeric keypad, the full keyboard default may be inconvenient (Flight Simulator comes to mind again, and not for good reasons). Other configurations may be needed.

d) Problems arising from the use of "," (comma) or "." (period) as decimal separator, set on the Windows Regional Configuration applet. There are pieces of software affected by this kind of selection. So, in my humble opinion, the keyboard "dot" should be the decimal separator, without caring for the other Windows settings.

Again, if the mapping is configurable, each of us can choose freely.

Thank you again, Eric.



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