Anyways, I have always wanted TI-Freakware to be a place where anyone could go to get the things they needed to start programming the TI calculators. I myself have been working on tutorials over the course of2 years, writing and rewriting them, trying to make them better, and more understandable.
Now I am taking them a step further, and trying to have the tutorials also posted in other languages! I have noticed that there are many people coming from Europe and other countries where English is not their primary language, and am attempting to also be able to cover for them as well.
Currently, I am looking for any tutorial, be it ASM, BASIC, or C, for any calc. The tutorials section is a bit on the bare side, especially on the 89 side of things...
I would also be willing to take any tutorials that people have that want posted in html format. All that would need to be done is sending me a .txt file, or .zip file containing programs and pics, if neccessary, and I will do the porting myself.
Well, I have been rewriting my own tutorials, to include more information, and to show more accurate screenshots on how things respond.
I am currently working on lesson 4, "gathering user input and using boolean logic". I have finished the input part, and am working on the boolean stuff, and giving a list of examples on how to properly use the If and cooresponding commands.
I like tutorials. especially since the average span of a programmer in the Ti-community is about 3-4 years and their knowledge is lost over time. The problem is that not enough people write them, me included. Although I don't know if I'd be the best person to write a tutorial, since my style would most likely resemble a drill Sargent's version.
I'm not into the 83 as much as the 89 these days. Maybe I should write an 89 one just to get people interested in them. I still say the few programmers for the 92 practicially sold it for Ti. maybe more programmer will mean more popularity.
I would love to see a good tutorial on the 89 series. I would like to make some cool games for it before I "retire", but all I have been able to accomplish with the 89 is a getkey program and a menu system with a bunch of options... -.-
the quickest way I can tell you is to get the 83 and 89 versions of gorillas. there essentially the same codebase just different enough to get them to work on each calc.
The biggest problem is that 92 basic (and 89 basic, since they are the same engine) expects a keyboard like the 92 had, and is a lot more wordier than 82 or 85 basic and relays less on the catalog. There is a keyboard for the 89 but it's not the same. The problem sets in further when Ti refuses to make an editor for ti-89 basic. (unless you get Ti-Graph Link, and remove the black link driver from add/remove programs after you restart so your PC wont crash every time you startup) I think there is a third party editor out there now, but I'm so used to ti-graph link that I keep using that.
Are you using the emulator or do you have an 89? If you have an 89, Appendix A in the manual is your best friend. If your using the emulator or wore out the manual like I did, get the book from ti's website. The syntax between the 89 and 83 are not that much different once you find out what they call it on the 89.
Biggest changes is that homescreen output is useless. Don't bother with anything involving the homescreen other than scrolling text, because it works just like pxltext without the graphic screen capabilities. You want to focus on the pxl calls like pxltext, and use the picture calls to show sprites and backgrounds that you make from the graph screen (the save picture in the graph screen (F7,8) lets you resize pictures you can use to make sprites.)