Re: A89: Re: Survey for the next version of PlusShell

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Re: A89: Re: Survey for the next version of PlusShell




>
>In a message dated 11/17/98 1:52:40 AM Eastern Standard Time,
>assets@eden.rutgers.edu writes:
>
>> Though you might think the hassel is trivial, but as a programmer, I
>>  personally don't like the idea of my program being dependent on external
>>  code in order to run ... for a calculator that requires a shell,
libraries
>>  are acceptable because the program is already dependant on the shell;
but
>>  for calculators that aren't, this is not acceptable.  A program written
for
>>  the 89 should work on every 89 (on every rom version) and not _only_
until
>a
>>  new standard is introduced.  Libraries defeat the purpose and elegance
of
>>  built-in assembly support
>>
>
>
>i agree with you in every case except two:  putsprite (including grayscale)

putsprites vary in each implementation, any large scale game is going to use
its own putsprites

>and huffman.

alright, if you're so intent on saving space w/ libraries, why not just use
a compression program to compress your whole ram :-)
really, the 86 doesn't use libraries; the 89 has something like 5 times the
user mem of the 86

  neither of these are likely to be in the rom, and they are used
>commonly in games.  there's no need to waste space in every program when
they
>all use the same routine.  if the routine is in the rom (util comes to
>mind...), then the library shouldn't be used.

Having a program dependent on library is no different than having a program
dependent on a shell.  People will most likely make "better" libraries that
might have all the old functions from older libraries, but with new library
specific functions; you might have, say, five of these improved libraries,
but only one on the calc because in order to run older programs, it must
have the same name as the first.  Why repeat what happened on the 85? ..
especially when we have built-in asm support?!

It's already happened once on the 89; look at the problems we're having with
old libraries & the new format