Re: Error trapping on TI-85? (fwd)


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Re: Error trapping on TI-85? (fwd)



> I agree that error trapping is necessary, but the TI-85 (indeed,
> all TI calculators) do have error-trapping capabilities. On an error, you
> are presented with the choice ov viewing the offending line of code or of
> exiting to the home screen.

This is not "error trapping."  When the error occurs, the calculator should
not unconditionally bail out and stop execution; instead, it must provide
an opportunity for the program to handle the error and continue.

> Texas Instruments did not manufacture the TRS-80. I believe you are
> confusing TI with Tandy, Corp.

Nope. Read the original message, in which I pointed out that the TRS-80,
which had FEWER resources and far less RAM than the TI-85, had error
trapping in its BASIC interpreter 15 years ago.

At the time, TI was busy bungling its marketing of microprocessors,
business computers (whose model numbers, believe it or not, all began with
"BS"), industrial computers, and home computers. Its LED watch business had
already been destroyed by the Japanese, who blindsided TI by rolling out
less expensive LCD models. TI was about to release a personal computer that
used an 8086 and ran MS-DOS but was not compatible with software written
for the IBM platform.

Several executives at TI recognized this as a marketing blunder and left to
form Compaq.

Not long after, several more gave up on trying to fix TI's marketing
ineptitude in the microprocessor arena and formed Cyrix.

Ironically, I just found out that the programmable calculators that TI made
in 1981 (the TI-58 and TI-59) both could test to see if an error had been
generated during program execution and handle it. Determining the nature of
the error was tricky, but at least the command was available and
documented. It was used extensively in TI's own software libraries.  These
calculators also had "solid state software" cartridges, which let third
parties distribute custom applications in ROM (no expensive cable, PC, or
PC software required). Apparently, none of these important features are
available today.