Talk:Calculator Documentation

I changed some headings and moved stuff around a bit. I think it's more logical this way, but I don't mind if you change it back. Jib 02:37, 5 November 2006 (PST)

The only thing that bugs me about it is that there's a "software" heading that includes both PC software (emulators) and calculator software (TIOS Alternatives), not to mention that software documentation is listed under a different heading. What do you think about:

Z80 Calculators
 TI-83
  Programming
   Ports
   RAM Areas
   B_CALLs
   etc
  Software
   Calculator Software
   Emulators
   Linking Software
   TIOS Alternatives
 TI-83 Plus Family
  Programming
   etc...
  Software
   etc...
 General Z80 Info
  Instruction Set
  etc.

68k Calculators
 TI-89/92+
  Programming
   etc.
  Software
   etc.
 TI-92
  etc.
 General 68k Info
  Instruction Set
  etc.

TI Community
 History
 Programming Teams
 etc.

For example, in that organization, the TI-83 Emulators page would basically just be a list of the emulators compatible with the 83, each of which would have their own separate page. So the VTI page might be linked from the TI-83 emulators page, the TI-85 emulators page, the TI-89 emulators page, etc. I like this organization because it makes it clear what calculators everything is applicable to, and it decreases the number of top-level categories. But maybe it's too complicated or has too many levels. Thoughts? --Dan Englender 09:11, 5 November 2006 (PST)

Yeah, it seems like a good idea to me. Jib 12:35, 5 November 2006 (PST)

Descriptions

I was just made aware that searching doesn't always work so well when looking for certain things. I think adding little descriptions after each link may help with new user finding things that aren't easy to find using search. I would do this however I have the grammar and spelling skills of a jar of mayonaise.

Also right now the Wiki isn't very friendly to new comers. Perhaps brain storming some ways to improve ease of use is in order.--Jim e 23:03, 13 February 2007 (PST)

Maybe I'm "thinking divergently", but from the very beginning, I thought the WikiTI might be a bit more useful if one could export the contents directly to a "wikiti.inc" file or something, where we can select which information we need exported (choose a calc model, choose whether you want all the bcalls, the port info, flags, and/or the RAM addresses, with or without their accompanying documentation). Maybe, since ti83plus.inc has recently been added, a script or something could use it as a basis, adding documentation as comments such that one can simply export the necessary WikiTI data to a file, and include it directly in one's source. Saibot84 06:03, 15 February 2007 (PST)

If you type up descriptions, I'll be more than happy to make sure the grammar and spelling is clear and correct. threefingeredguy 02:36, 14 February 2007 (PST)

A suggestion

• What about pages to specifications of each calculator like in:

http://www.ticalc.org/basics/calculators/ They are on wanted pages, also. I am not sure how to add it.

• And what about TI-82 and TI-85?

Galandros 20:12, 25 October 2009 (UTC)

• This maybe needs serious reorganization but I don't know how exactly. It is hard.

Galandros 15:15, 2 November 2009 (UTC)

Nspire in WikiTI

WikiTI does not have Nspire documentation in it but I guess it can be left for Hackspire.

At least I think we should link to hackspire. Should it be linked in Calculator Documentation page or only in TI websites page? (preceding unsigned comment by Galandros (talk • contribs) 04:15, 13 November 2010)

As a practical matter, it makes sense to keep the documentation of the Nspire OS and hardware on Hackspire. (I don't personally see any problem with putting that stuff here on WikiTI - I don't think Brandon would, either, but I can't speak for him - but in any case we should avoid duplicating effort.) On the other hand, since a large part of WikiTI is devoted to Z80 programming, it would make a lot of sense for us to include documentation about the Nspire's TI-84 Plus emulation mode: which I/O ports are emulated, what the special opcodes do, what differences are known from one version to the next. And any special features of the Nspire-84+ operating systems, in terms of BCALLs and memory areas, are worth documenting. I'd recommend that this stuff be added to the regular 83Plus documentation pages, but make it clear which parts of the page apply to the real hardware and which to the emulated hardware.

I'd be inclined not to put external links on the Calculator Documentation page, so as to avoid cluttering it - if anything, I'd say that page should be trimmed down a bit. But I don't feel strongly either way. FloppusMaximus 04:04, 14 November 2010 (UTC)

I forgot to sign my earlier message, it happens after going away from WikiTI for too much time. :)

I have linked to hackspire in http://wikiti.brandonw.net/index.php?title=TI_websites . We really should focus efforts of Nspire documentation in one wiki, so this question is almost settled.

About emulated TI-84PSE I started already here: http://wikiti.brandonw.net/index.php?title=Programming_cross_z80_calculators#Emulated_TI-84.2BSE_by_Nspire . (lacks further technical and precise documentation but is a start) But if it gets big, we can move to a new page.

I see some possible reducing of Calculator Documentation Page, but that would require merge some pages, moving things around or create a category for each calculator. But that disrupts the actual logic and makes their access one click away. I read some tips on Wikipedia and it suggests to keep original flow of pages and categories unless a con-sensuous and superior in almost every point is found. And I use them as guidelines.

Actually in the past I have reorganized Calculator Documentation, so I have thought about these problems through-fully.

Galandros 15:07, 14 November 2010 (UTC)