Too many labels for XEQ

[salvomic]

hi,
in my DM42 there are now too many labels (and too many pages) for XEQ (and Catalog->PRGM)
Recently I installed to try the good program Const0 (by wiljea: viewtopic.php?f=19&t=271#p8817) and it created other two pages of labels in first position...
Is there a way to reduce the labels not showing the intermediate routines (but only the name of programs) or, at least, reorder the pages of labels?
I would like to have in the first positions the most used programs only.

thanks,
Salvo

[EM41]

I use the custom menu for the most used routines, never used this XEQ menu.
Works with the assign function and has multiple pages if you need them.
But I am not a regular DM42 user, prefer the DM41X so maybe there is another better way.

[salvomic]

I use the custom menu for the most used routines, never used this XEQ menu.
Works with the assign function and has multiple pages if you need them.
But I am not a regular DM42 user, prefer the DM41X so maybe there is another better way.

thanks.
I don't remember how many item we can create with DM42 (and DM41X); I need at least 10-15

Salvo

[Thomas Okken]

Hmm... Now that I'm working on some new functionality for Free42, maybe I should reconsider directories as well?

[dlachieze]

I use the custom menu for the most used routines, never used this XEQ menu.
Works with the assign function and has multiple pages if you need them.
But I am not a regular DM42 user, prefer the DM41X so maybe there is another better way.

thanks.
I don't remember how many item we can create with DM42 (and DM41X); I need at least 10-15

Salvo

DM42: 18 items (3 pages of 6 items) in CUSTOM menu
DM41X: 19 items (16 letters + shift Alpha + shift Up + shift Down) in CST mode

Another way to reduce variables and programs clutter on the DM42 is to use different states for different usages, it's like having multiple DM42s, each configured for a specific usage, and you just pick the one you need at a given time. This applies also to the DM41X.
For example I have a dedicated state file that I use as a playground when testing new things to avoid messing up my standard configuration.
State files can also be used to manage and exchange a collection of programs for a specific application field such as with the [42S] Electrical Engineering Solutions programs.

Hmm... Now that I'm working on some new functionality for Free42, maybe I should reconsider directories as well?

That could be interesting but it may require at lot of work to add directories to a calculator programming model that was not designed for that.

[salvomic]

Hmm... Now that I'm working on some new functionality for Free42, maybe I should reconsider directories as well?

Maybe...
If it is not possible to hide the global internal label... The best would be show only the top program label and not its routines.

Salvo

[salvomic]

DM42: 18 items (3 pages of 6 items) in CUSTOM menu
DM41X: 19 items (16 letters + shift Alpha + shift Up + shift Down) in CST mode

Another way to reduce variables and programs clutter on the DM42 is to use different states for different usages, it's like having multiple DM42s, each configured for a specific usage, and you just pick the one you need at a given time. This applies also to the DM41X.
For example I have a dedicated state file that I use as a playground when testing new things to avoid messing up my standard configuration.
State files can also be used to manage and exchange a collection of programs for a specific application field such as with the [42S] Electrical Engineering Solutions programs.

...
That could be interesting but it may require at lot of work to add directories to a calculator programming model that what not designed for that.

thanks dlachieze, the solution with States is interesting also. I'll try.

With Custom menu solution: 18 item would be enough for me, the inly problem is if a program set by itself one of the custom label, it overwrite mine, isn't it?

However, there are two good tips, ok.

Salvo

[rprosperi]

Hmm... Now that I'm working on some new functionality for Free42, maybe I should reconsider directories as well?

Whoa... now THAT would be interesting, if as Didier notes, it can be achieved without excessive work. I think the main challenge would be to incorporate this into into the UI in an intuitive way, though I'd guess that the challenges of navigating folders on all the various platforms is also fairly daunting.

Looking forward to see how this goes...

[Thomas Okken]

Hmm... Now that I'm working on some new functionality for Free42, maybe I should reconsider directories as well?

Whoa... now THAT would be interesting, if as Didier notes, it can be achieved without excessive work. I think the main challenge would be to incorporate this into into the UI in an intuitive way, though I'd guess that the challenges of navigating folders on all the various platforms is also fairly daunting.

Looking forward to see how this goes...

Agreed, the UI is a bigger challenge than the actual functionality. I may have to add a few keys to keep things from getting too cluttered!

[firai]

Agreed, the UI is a bigger challenge than the actual functionality. I may have to add a few keys to keep things from getting too cluttered!

If the directory structure is only for programs and only for decluttering the menu (i.e. programs across directories still can't have conflicting names), two possible setups that come to mind on the side of calling programs that (hopefully) doesn't require breaking changes in terms of requiring new buttons:

• Option 1: The XEQ menu shows a list of "master" programs that are also names of directories.
  • Pressing the menu button for a master program name executes the master program.
  • In the XEQ menu, pressing Shift + the menu button navigates the user into the directory and updates the menu choices with a list of the programs that are in the directory. The first menu choice could be a ".." so that the user can exit out to the parent directory.

• Option 2: The XEQ menu shows a list of directories (possibly plus programs in the "root" directory).
  • Pressing the menu button for a directory name navigates the user into the directory. The rest of this behavior is the same as item 2 above.
  • In the XEQ menu, pressing Shift + the menu button for the directory/program name executes the program with that name if such a program exists. This is just a shortcut for going into the directory and selecting the program.

The latter option could be more flexible in terms of program organization, but the main problem with that option is that I haven't figured out how you would indicate that a name is for a directory as opposed to a program name, given the limited number of pixels in the current Free42 display. In a higher resolution display like the DM 42, it may be possible to shrink the text slightly for this menu to give way for a small symbol.

Depending on which option it is, a couple of functions would also needed to demote programs to "slave" and/or manage directories, as well as shift programs around, but hopefully that's not too difficult. In terms of computer file management, I would imagine that each RAW file could map to a directory. That is, importing a RAW file would assume that all programs within that RAW belong to one directory. I guess markers could also be added to identify directories in the RAW structure, but that might break compatibility with older RAW files?

Despite the length of my post, all of this hopefully wouldn't be too much work, and I look forward to seeing what comes out of this!