Re: A83: Shells on the 83+

To: assembly-83@lists.ticalc.org
Subject: Re: A83: Shells on the 83+
From: Jkhum98@aol.com
Date: Sun, 30 Jan 2000 20:09:04 EST
Reply-To: assembly-83@lists.ticalc.org

In a message dated 1/30/00 6:44:02 PM Central Standard Time, 
kaypictures@clara.net writes:

> A signing even for a minor update... I thought they'd give you that much!!
>  Anyway, a) you havn't replied to my response to your response b) I already
>  answered the question (Petty, I know.... But I --HAD-- to point it out 
;-). 
> Will your new shell be compatible with Ion?
>  
>  --Robin Kay--

The shell will be compatible with ION, yes... That means we must correlate 
with the system ION uses to manage and execute programs. There will also be 
types of programs that are specifically compatible with the shell, and not 
with ION. Such programs can make use of all the new built in routines we plan 
on using, as well as ION's routines, which are also being included.

It is possible that for programs specifically compatible with our shell, can 
have a Bit in its header, that notifies whether or not it needs to be written 
back. In that case, the program can be simply copied to Ram, and executed 
there, rather than unarchiving it, executing/altering it, and rearchiving the 
program. Having this method would save the number of writes to FlashROM that 
the user will have. Does that compromise enough? I hope you see why that cant 
be done with ION progs, because most of the existing ones do use program 
write back, and I dont plan on rewriting every ION prog there is for this 
shell... Most people should and will create programs for ION, since this is 
the latest TI-83 shell, and so that they can be compatible with everything. 
However there will be the ability to program specifically for the 83+ shell 
using more features...

Jason_K