TI-Nspire Lua Scripting
Andy Kemp
John Hanna
Andy, would you mind sharing your amazing work: Game of Life and Tower of Hanoi tns files?
John Hanna
T3 - Teachers Teaching with Technology
"A cowchip is paradise to a fly."
--
To post to this group, send email to tins...@googlegroups.com
To unsubscribe send email to tinspire+u...@googlegroups.com
For more options, visit this group at
http://groups.google.com.au/group/tinspire?hl=en-GB?hl=en-GB
The tns documents shared by group members are archived at
http://lafacroft.com/archive/nspire.php
Andy Kemp
John Hanna
Thanks, Andy.
A note to all: should there be an error in the code, you will see the app replaced with an error screen with the error message at the top and a screen of code filling the page. Kindly report the error to the author, perhaps with a screen capture of the error, or, since Andy was kind enough to provide the Lua source code for his apps, you could try debugging yourself J.
This truly opens up a whole new world of opportunities for the TI-Nspire world! I only wish I were more adept at Lua programming.
Andy Kemp
Adrien Bertrand
(soon going to be linked in TI's page if not already) :
http://www.inspired-lua.org
Have fun !
On 2 juin, 15:12, Andy Kemp <a...@kemp.co> wrote:
> I must admit my lua skills are still all over the place whilst I get my head
> into it! I find I'm still having to recompile the code after every change
> to see if it did what I expected!!
>
> However I am really enjoying what I can achieve with it even if I am sure
> everything I have written could be done significantly neater and shorter if
> I genuinely knew what I was doing!!
>
>
>
> On Thu, Jun 2, 2011 at 1:57 PM, John Hanna <johneha...@gmail.com> wrote:
> > Thanks, Andy.
>
> > A note to all: should there be an error in the code, you will see the app
> > replaced with an error screen with the error message at the top and a screen
> > of code filling the page. Kindly report the error to the author, perhaps
> > with a screen capture of the error, or, since Andy was kind enough to
> > provide the Lua source code for his apps, you could try debugging yourself
> > J.
>
> > This truly opens up a whole new world of opportunities for the TI-Nspire
> > world! I only wish I were more adept at Lua programming.
>
> > John Hanna
>
> > *"A cowchip is paradise to a fly."*
>
> > ------------------------------
>
> > *From:* tins...@googlegroups.com [mailto:tins...@googlegroups.com] *On
> > Behalf Of *Andy Kemp
> > *Sent:* Thursday, June 02, 2011 8:15 AM
> > *To:* tins...@googlegroups.com
> > *Subject:* Re: [tinspire] TI-Nspire Lua Scripting
> > Of course, I've been working on a couple of files using these tools and
> > attached is my Game of Life simulation and the Tower or Hanoi...
>
> > Attached are the TNS files and Lua scripts for those who are interested.
> > There may still be bugs in these as they haven't been widely tested but
> > should fine on any handheld or software running 3.0.1 or 3.0.2...
>
> > Comments or suggestions are always appreciated!
>
> > Cheers
>
> > Andy
>
>
> > Andy, would you mind sharing your amazing work: *Game of Life* and *Tower*
> > * of Hanoi* *tns* files?
>
> > John Hanna
>
> > jeha...@optonline.net
> > *"A cowchip is paradise to a fly."*
>
> > ------------------------------
>
> > *From:* tins...@googlegroups.com [mailto:tins...@googlegroups.com] *On
> > Behalf Of *Andy Kemp
> > *Sent:* Thursday, June 02, 2011 6:59 AM
> > *To:* TI-Nspire Google Group
> > *Subject:* [tinspire] TI-Nspire Lua Scripting
Don Shepherd
and is committed to this programming environment. Now I've got to go
learn Lua and get a CX!
Don Shepherd
Andy Kemp
Travis Bower
First and quick attempt at Hanoi....
Steve Phelps
Joe
recreational games that were popular for the ti-83/84 series now
become available for the nspire? Perhaps in the past some teachers
had bored students sitting in the back playing games on their
calculator during class. So I am curious if opening the nspire up to
Lua will allow that sort of thing occur?
> 18KViewDownload- Hide quoted text -
>
> - Show quoted text -
Lionel Debroux
> I am not at all familiar with Lua, but the obvious question is can
> the recreational games that were popular for the ti-83/84 series
> now become available for the nspire?
Definitely. In fact, they have started in April, very soon after TI
released the periodic table and OS 3.0.1.1753 :)
I'll only mention six of them, but there are more: 15puzzle, 9sweeper,
nFighter, TI-Basket, Falldown, Puissance 4 Lua.
Another noteworthy Lua program: Levak ported his BASIC Make3D program to
Lua, for a huge interactivity and speed boost. He developed a lot of
code for creating a menu and character map system, in order to work
around the online Nspire document player not dealing with the computer's
keyboard.
All of that occurred before TI released any documentation or tool.
The release quickly followed the involuntary leak of said documentation
(most of which had already been reverse-engineered anyway) and tool on
the website of someone who had access to them, but misconfigured his Web
server and let the directory that contained them be readable (and
probably indexed by search engines, I guess).
> Perhaps in the past some teachers had bored students sitting in
> the back playing games on their calculator during class. So I am
> curious if opening the nspire up to Lua will allow that sort of
> thing occur?
Lua will only widen what has already been possible for more than one
year with C/C++/ASM, all the more programming in Lua is easier than
programming in C/C++/ASM.
Neither C/C++/ASM nor Lua can currently be modified directly on the
calculator, though.
Lionel.
Andy Kemp
- One would be to prevent the running of these scripts when the calculator is in P2T mode (i.e. as one of the options)...
- Another would be to require some sort of dongle to be connected to the USB port for the scripts to run...
- Or to have the P2T light flash a particular pattern when Lua scripts are running (i.e. to flag to the teacher that they are running some script)
--
Lionel Debroux
> and what was possible before with tools like Ndless. Primarily Lua
> script will run natively on any current (i.e. 3.0+) device with no
> user modification, which means its use will be more widespread...
_programming_, because Lua is easier to program with than C/C++/ASM is.
Especially if an on-calc Lua editor is released.
Lua _use_ may end up being more widespread than _use_ of native code
programs, but I feel that Lua and native code programs are going to be
used in a complementary manner - when native code is available on OS
3.x, of course.
Even with a JIT ( http://luajit.org ), Lua can't reach the speed of
native code, and it won't reach the level of control on the hardware and
software offered by native code.
Even for math programs, as I already mentioned, interacting with the CAS
in internal data form could bring greater speed, and more powerful
manipulations.
Why nest e.g. when, part, expr, str, left, right, mid, in order to try
and cope with the way input expressions are written, if you could call
e.g. next_expression_index, factor_exponent_index, lead_factor_index,
lead_term_index, and dozens of similar functions ?
On the topic of user modification: more than 10 years on the TI-68k and
TI-Z80 have consistently shown that if people want a program which
requires a "kernel" or "shell" (both misnomers, but whatever), they do
what it takes (which usually is easy) to install it ;)
Only to name a few, in random order: CrASH, Ion, DoorsCS, Zshell, Fargo,
DoorsOS, PreOS, and of course Ndless.
> I also think the whole climate of portable gaming has significantly
> changed since the preeminence of the TI84 as the gaming platform of
> choice in the classroom. It is now far more likely that those
> 'bored students' you mention have a mobile phone in the pocket which
> is capable of playing far more advanced and complex games then are
> ever likely to be developed for the Nspire...
Agreed, it's a fact.
But usage of phones tend to be prohibited in classrooms (at least, in
some countries), while usage of calculators in the classroom usually
isn't :)
> Ultimately, providing a more flexible and powerful programming
> language was always going to open up the gates to a range of
> recreational games for the device.
Yes.
> Personally I am not concerned about this development as I never
> felt that it was TI's job to manage what goes on in my classroom
> (that's my job!)
I'm not a teacher, but I tend to agree.
> There are however a few things that TI could choose to implement
> to aid the management of these scripts.
>
> - One would be to prevent the running of these scripts when the
> calculator is in P2T mode (i.e. as one of the options)...
Well, the PTT mode prohibits access to any user documents, among which
are the Lua documents ?
(at least, that's how it worked in OS 1.x, the only ones I've tested PTT
with)
> - Another would be to require some sort of dongle to be
> connected to the USB port for the scripts to run...
Somewhat cumbersome IMO.
> - Or to have the P2T light flash a particular pattern when Lua
> scripts are running (i.e. to flag to the teacher that they are
> running some script)
That could work... but circumvention by colored adhesive tape + ink mark
looks rather easy to me, while remaining hard to detect from a distance.
> As TI say on their website about this, scripting is still in the
> piloting stage and I am sure there will be a lot of discussion
> about the management of these scripts between now and their formal
> launch...
It's likely.
> Personally I would favour something like an indicator light from
> the P2T LED and the ability to disable (i.e. for tests etc) using
> P2T...
I'd think the second item is already available :)
Lionel.
Andy Kemp
You can run Lua script while in P2T if you copy the file once in p2t mode...
I'm not looking for complex solutions and if students really want to
waste their time playing games in class they will (and always have)
find a way...
A simple indicator light I think would suffice for the 99% of people
who are casual users...
There will always be those who wish to do more or to circumvent these
measures but that is up to them...
Cheers
Andy
Sent from my iPhone
Jessica Kachur
T3 Regional Instructor
Muka, CGC, TDI, Retired, CL2, CL3-F, CL3-S, CL3-H, TN-O, WV-N
and
Jibay, Sandy Acres lil' Phantom, NA, CGC, ChFH, CL4, CL4-F, CL4-S, CL4-H
From: Andy Kemp <an...@kemp.co>
To: "tins...@googlegroups.com" <tins...@googlegroups.com>
Sent: Fri, June 3, 2011 7:51:34 AM
Subject: Re: [tinspire] Re: TI-Nspire Lua Scripting
> For more options, visit this group at
> http://groups.google.com.au/group/tinspire?hl=en-GB?hl=en-GB
> The tns documents shared by group members are archived at
> http://lafacroft.com/archive/nspire.php
--
To post to this group, send email to tins...@googlegroups.com
Andy Kemp
To unsubscribe send email to tinspire+u...@googlegroups.com
Eric Findlay
Andy Kemp
Eric Findlay
Andy Kemp
Don Shepherd
traditionally applied to programming languages (back before there were
such things as "scripting" languages). When BASIC stared out at
Dartmouth in 1964, it was compiled on the GE minicomputer on which it
ran. When Bill Gates and Paul Allen adapted BASIC to run on the
Altair, the first viable microcomputer, BASIC became interpreted
because of severe memory restrictions. It remained interpreted on
most versions on the PC platform. I believe there are still BASIC
interpreters running on PCs today.
Gates and Allen rather perverted the original BASIC language to get it
to fit in the memory of the Altair, and Kemeny and Kurtz (the
inventors of BASIC) were not very happy about that.
Don
> Small point of note: Lua is a Scripting Language, not a Programming Language.
>
> Programming languages are compiled into byte codes (instructions for the processor), which makes them faster at runtime, but are not usually capable of running on different types of processors (need to be recompiled for different instruction sets). The set of compiled byte codes is a program.
>
> Scripting languages are interpreted into the processor instructions on the fly at run-time, which leads to slower run-time (not noticeable these days), but more cross-platform compatibility. The set of instructions to be interpreted is called a script.
>
> Not a huge deal, but I thought I'd point out the difference.
>
> --Eric
>
>
>
>
> > Hi Jess,
> > This is a surprisingly difficult question to answer! Lua is a text based programming language that can be used to write interactive environments... This is a very different skill than the ability to create an 'interactive document'...
>
> > Coding an environment in Lua has several advantages and several disadvantages over building something normally on the Nspire... Using Lua it is possible to create controls based on the keyboard and build custom buttons... But you also have to build everything else from scratch... So whilst I could wrote some code to draw a square with a side length that can be changed it would be easier to do this in the regular Nspire environment...
>
> > However using Lua script it is possible to add more logic to these objects, for example if you look at the Tower of Hanoi files attached earlier to this thread, you will find a document in which you can drag around the 'disks' but through writing it in lua I have restricted how the disks behave (i.e. it understands that larger disks cannot go on top of smaller disks etc)...
>
> > If you have never done any programming before I wouldn't say Lua is the easiest to pick up, but it has the potential to be used to build all sorts of useful documents that could be widely used in classrooms even if only a small handful of users are actually writing the documents...
>
> > I don't expect the vast majority of teachers will take up the ability to code in Lua themselves but I can see a bank of resources developing which will be much more widely used by teachers and students in the classroom.
>
> > I suggest you download the examples I posted and the ones in the TI link from the first post in this thread and have a look at some of the examples of what is possible...
>
> > Cheers
> > Andy
>
> > Ok, for the dumb in all of us, could you please explain to me what Lua scripting is and how it is helpful in programming, Please start with the basics! Thanks.
>
> > Jess Kachur
> > T3 Regional Instructor
> > Muka, CGC, TDI, Retired, CL2, CL3-F, CL3-S, CL3-H, TN-O, WV-N
> > and
> > Jibay, Sandy Acres lil' Phantom, NA, CGC, ChFH, CL4, CL4-F, CL4-S, CL4-H
>
> > To: "tins...@googlegroups.com" <tins...@googlegroups.com>
> > Sent: Fri, June 3, 2011 7:51:34 AM
> > Subject: Re: [tinspire] Re: TI-Nspire Lua Scripting
>
> > Hi Lionel,
> > You can run Lua script while in P2T if you copy the file once in p2t mode...
>
> > I'm not looking for complex solutions and if students really want to
> > waste their time playing games in class they will (and always have)
> > find a way...
>
> > A simple indicator light I think would suffice for the 99% of people
> > who are casual users...
>
> > There will always be those who wish to do more or to circumvent these
> > measures but that is up to them...
>
> > Cheers
> > Andy
>
> > Sent from my iPhone
>
>
> > >> There are a couple of important differences though between Lua script
> > >> and what was possible before with tools like Ndless. Primarily Lua
> > >> script will run natively on any current (i.e. 3.0+) device with no
> > >> user modification, which means its use will be more widespread...
> > > Lua _programming_ will definitely be more widespread than C/C++/ASM
> > > _programming_, because Lua is easier to program with than C/C++/ASM is.
> > > Especially if an on-calc Lua editor is released.
>
> > > Lua _use_ may end up being more widespread than _use_ of native code
> > > programs, but I feel that Lua and native code programs are going to be
> > > used in a complementary manner - when native code is available on OS
> > > 3.x, of course.
Lionel Debroux
(Eric)
> Small point of note: Lua is a Scripting Language, not a
> Programming Language.
Well, Lua is both: scripting languages are a special case of programming
languages ;)
> Programming languages are compiled into byte codes (instructions
> for the processor),
* "byte code" usually refers to neutral, processor-independent code. For
example, Java uses a processor-independent bytecode.
* processor-specific instructions directly executable by a given
processor are usually termed e.g. "native code", but not "bytecode".
* the intersection of bytecode and native code is almost void. The
Jazelle extensions of the ARM ISA are supposed to speed up
interpretation of Java, but AFAIK, hardly anybody uses them because
they're mostly undocumented...
Bytecode can be transformed into native code by virtue of Just In Time
(JIT) compilation (at runtime), or Ahead Of Time (AOT) compilation (at
compile time). Some languages support both modes.
> which makes them faster at runtime, but are not usually capable of
> running on different types of processors (need to be recompiled for
> different instruction sets).
You're talking about native code here :)
> The set of compiled byte codes is a program.
That's the terminology for both native code and bytecode.
> Scripting languages are interpreted into the processor
> instructions on the fly at run-time,
Yup.
> which leads to slower run-time (not noticeable these days),
It's common for non-JIT/AOT'ed scripting languages to be ten to one
thousand times slower than equivalent native code. TI's implementations
of BASIC and Lua on the Nspire belong to the set of non-JIT/AOT'ed
scripting languages.
The slowdown of pure interpretation is noticeable in a number of use
cases, especially on embedded platforms, and even though the Lua
interpreter is well known as lightweight and fast, compared to the
standard interpreter of scripting languages such as Python.
As a proof, check the benchmarks at
http://luajit.org/performance_arm.html and
http://luajit.org/performance_x86.html . They show the gap between
interpreted Lua and JIT'ed Lua (the latter being closer to native code),
10 to 100+ times slower indeed.
> but more cross-platform compatibility. The set of instructions to be
> interpreted is called a script.
Yes, and yes.
Lionel.
Andy Kemp
To unsubscribe send email to tinspire+u...@googlegroups.com
Joe
you write instructions (coding) in the C++ language which are batch
processed into machine language by a compiler. Lua is a "scripting
language" so when you write inscructions in Lua it is called scripting
and the instuctions are only converted into machine language as they
are used and that is done by an interpreter rather than a compiler.
Is that the gist of it?
On Jun 4, 3:45 am, Andy Kemp <a...@kemp.co> wrote:
> Jess,
> It occurred to me a better description for the layman might be that with Lua
> scripting it should be possible to recreate the kind of maths games that are
> available as flash games on the web so they run on the Nspire handheld,
> which now that we have the colour CXs is really exciting!
>
> Cheers
> Andy
>
>
>
>
> > Ok, for the dumb in all of us, could you please explain to me what Lua
> > scripting is and how it is helpful in programming, Please start with the
> > basics! Thanks.
>
> > Jess Kachur
> > T3 Regional Instructor
> > Muka, CGC, TDI, Retired, CL2, CL3-F, CL3-S, CL3-H, TN-O, WV-N
> > and
> > Jibay, Sandy Acres lil' Phantom, NA, CGC, ChFH, CL4, CL4-F, CL4-S, CL4-H
>
> > *From:* Andy Kemp <a...@kemp.co>
> > *To:* "tins...@googlegroups.com" <tins...@googlegroups.com>
> > *Sent:* Fri, June 3, 2011 7:51:34 AM
> > *Subject:* Re: [tinspire] Re: TI-Nspire Lua Scripting
> > Hi Lionel,
> > You can run Lua script while in P2T if you copy the file once in p2t
> > mode...
>
> > I'm not looking for complex solutions and if students really want to
> > waste their time playing games in class they will (and always have)
> > find a way...
>
> > A simple indicator light I think would suffice for the 99% of people
> > who are casual users...
>
> > There will always be those who wish to do more or to circumvent these
> > measures but that is up to them...
>
> > Cheers
> > Andy
>
> > Sent from my iPhone
>
>
> > >> There are a couple of important differences though between Lua script
> > >> and what was possible before with tools like Ndless. Primarily Lua
> > >> script will run natively on any current (i.e. 3.0+) device with no
> > >> user modification, which means its use will be more widespread...
> > > Lua _programming_ will definitely be more widespread than C/C++/ASM
> > > _programming_, because Lua is easier to program with than C/C++/ASM is.
> > > Especially if an on-calc Lua editor is released.
>
> > > Lua _use_ may end up being more widespread than _use_ of native code
> > > programs, but I feel that Lua and native code programs are going to be
> > > used in a complementary manner - when native code is available on OS
> > > 3.x, of course.
> > > For more options, visit this group at
> > >http://groups.google.com.au/group/tinspire?hl=en-GB?hl=en-GB
> > > The tns documents shared by group members are archived at
> > >http://lafacroft.com/archive/nspire.php
>
> > --
> > To post to this group, send email to tins...@googlegroups.com
> > To unsubscribe send email to tinspire+u...@googlegroups.com
> > For more options, visit this group at
> >http://groups.google.com.au/group/tinspire?hl=en-GB?hl=en-GB
> > The tns documents shared by group members are archived at
> >http://lafacroft.com/archive/nspire.php
>
> > --
> > To post to this group, send email to tins...@googlegroups.com
> > To unsubscribe send email to tinspire+u...@googlegroups.com
> > For more options, visit this group at
> >http://groups.google.com.au/group/tinspire?hl=en-GB?hl=en-GB
> > The tns documents shared by group members are archived at
Don Shepherd
dated phrase referring to how punch-card jobs used to be submitted to
mainframe computers for sequential executing, it really doesn't apply
to what people do on PC's these days.
I don't make a big distinction between "computer languages" and
"scripting languages", they both do the same thing: you write code
and it is executed. With today's processor speeds, the difference
between compiling and interpreting is negligible.
Don
>
> > - Show quoted text -- Hide quoted text -
Jessica Kachur
T3 Regional Instructor
Muka, CGC, TDI, Retired, CL2, CL3-F, CL3-S, CL3-H, TN-O, WV-N
and
Jibay, Sandy Acres lil' Phantom, NA, CGC, ChFH, CL4, CL4-F, CL4-S, CL4-H
Andy Kemp
Sean Bird
- change color
- give a message, make labels appear
- bold, show a side of a cube.
I don't know how many A/C documents you've had your students try on the handheld, but there are some that a little more difficult to use on the handheld, perhaps you could try to make one like that.
I think Andy has done some work so that current users will find using a page with Lua on it more intuitive because it uses the same kind of buttons for to play, pause, reset a simulation.
Again a supper cool thing about Lua, is that information that occurs on that page can be used and analyzed on other native Nspire pages. For more ideas on simulations, many of which can be used in math classrooms to bring real world relevance to what we teach, check out the free simulations at http://phet.colorado.edu/
- Sean Bird
Ok, I looked at the files, and it is way cool. I went on the internet and found a site that gives the basics of writing Lua script and I am going to spend some time learning it this summer (yes I am a geek), besides games, is there a good use for this (mathematically speaking)?
Andy Kemp
Travis Bower
Andy Kemp
Sent from my iPad
Steve Phelps
Adrien Bertrand
http://www.inspired-lua.org/2011/05/2-setting-lua-environnement-with-the-preliminary-scripting-tool/
John Hanna
Re: I downloaded the TI Lua scripting "toolkit," but I am not sure how to use it or what to do with it.
- Use a text editor* to write a Lua program for the TI-Nspire. See the Examples online or the ones that Andy posted.
- Run the TI-Nspire Scripting Tools program and Load a Lua App (the lua text file). You’ll see a message that the script has been copied to the clipboard.
- In a TI-Nspire document, insert a page and press ctrl-v to pase the Lua program onto the blank page.
If all goes well you should see your program running in TI-Nspire. If not, then there’s an error.
Note that this Lua to TI-Nspire environment is in the early stages and is not for novices.
The TI-Nspire Scripting Tools program is also used to convert images into a text form that can be pasted into a Lua program.
* Notepad++ is nice and has a Lua view.
John Hanna
T3 - Teachers Teaching with Technology
"A cowchip is paradise to a fly."
From: tins...@googlegroups.com [mailto:tins...@googlegroups.com] On Behalf Of Steve Phelps
Sent: Saturday, June 04, 2011 6:51
PM
To: tins...@googlegroups.com
Subject: Re: [tinspire] Re:
TI-Nspire Lua Scripting
I downloaded the TI Lua scripting "toolkit," but I am not sure how to use it or what to do with it.
--
Andy Kemp
Joe
(converted into machine language) as used, instead of being all
compiled before hand, that must mean that a Lua intrepreter is on the
nspire as part of the OS. Would that be correct? If so, that raises
two other questions. 1.) Does the Lua intrepreter on the nspire have
all the standard Lua commands of just a subset with some custom
commands added? (This effects what needs to be learned in order to
use Lua in the nspire.) 2.) Lua script must be marked somehow to be
intrepreted by the nspire. How is that done? By identifying a set of
instructions as a Lua program when loading them into the nspire as an
app?
Andy Kemp
part of the OS since 3.0.
The Lua interpreter used in the Nspire includes all the standard Lua
commands with the exception of the of the file, io, os and package
libraries, and the docile and load file commands - this is all
documented in the official documents that were linked to at the start
of this thread...
I'm not certain how from the perspective of the Nspire the code is
marked as being Lua script, but from the user's perspective it is
currently done using the conversion tool which is necessary to move
the Lua script on to the Nspire at the moment... I'm not sure if we
will get the ability to write Lua on the handheld at some stage but it
is theoretically possible...
Cheers
Andy
Sent from my iPad
Eric Findlay
--Eric
Joe
significance of Lua on nspire.
> >>>> - Show quoted text -- Hide quoted text -
>
> >>> - Show quoted text -- Hide quoted text -
>
> >> - Show quoted text -
>
> > --
> > To post to this group, send email to tins...@googlegroups.com
> > To unsubscribe send email to tinspire+u...@googlegroups.com
> > For more options, visit this group at
> >http://groups.google.com.au/group/tinspire?hl=en-GB?hl=en-GB
> > The tns documents shared by
>
>
> read more »- Hide quoted text -