J wrote:
Most things on the 50G work a bit more easily in RPN mode (and that's
the only mode I use) so these instructions presume that you are that
mode, and also that you are using the "soft menus" instead of the
"choose boxes". Both settings are available by pressing the MODE key,
but the "soft menu" is under the FLAGS option, option -117.
That done, the steps are:
1) pick one of the available decimal-to-fraction functions
2) make a program that calls it
3) pick a key to which you will assign the program
4) assign it
and optionally
5) save the configuration somewhere so that you can easily restore it
In detail:
1) Leaving aside for now the possibility of writing your own program,
the main choices are: \->Q, \->Q\pi, and XQ. (These "\->" things are
7-bit representations of symbols not found in ASCII, the kind of thing
familiar to C programmers, as explained here:
http://groups.google.com/group/comp.sys.hp48/msg/52e9cc3ee2b369b8
Briefly, the "\->" is the right-arrow symbol found on the keyboard at
right-shift 0, and the "\pi" is the Pi symbol found at left-shift SPC.
Many RPL functions which convert one data type to another start with
or contain the right arrow.) \->Q converts a real (a decimal number) to
an algebraic fraction, e.g. .55 becomes '11/20'. "\->Q\pi" does the
same but in terms of pi if possible, so .55 becomes '11/20' and
1.72787595947 becomes '11/20*\pi'. If you want to play with these for a
bit, they are found in the CONVERT menu in the REWRITE submenu. XQ is
similar to \->Q\pi. So let's use it for this.
2) The simplest program that calls XQ in RPN mode is \<< XQ \>>. The
double-angle-brackets are the program delimiters, and are found on
right-shift +. Press that, then press alpha and then X, then alpha and
then Q. Press ENTER. You should have \<< XQ \>> on the stack.
3) Now to pick a key. In a basic 50G, there are six shift states you
can or should use: unshifted, alpha, left shift, left shift held, right
shift, and right shift held. Most keys have default functions assigned
for unshift, alpha, left, and right; only a few have functions assigned
to the held shifts as well (for instance right-shift-held ENTER toggles
between exact and approx mode). Therefore, unless you want to overwrite
some default assignment you don't care for, try to use a combo that
isn't currently used, like left-shift-held ENTER (I'm going to start
using RS and LS for right and left shift now...) Since RS ENTER is
already \->NUM, which is the frac-to-dec function, LS-held ENTER makes
some sense. The key number is made up of: row number, col number,
point, shift key, held. Row num is 1 to 10, col num is 1 to 6, shift is
0 to 3, held is 0 or 1. The shift key numbers are in order going down,
that is, unshifted is 0, alpha is 1, LS is 2, RS is 3. Examples:
unshifted F1 key is 11.00 (row 1, col one, no shift, not held)
RS COS key is 54.30 (row 5, col 4, RS, not held)
LS-held ENTER is 105.21 (row 10, col 5, LS, held)
So now type 105.21 ENTER, so your stack has \<< XQ \>> and below that
105.21.
4) To assign the program to the key, type ASN. Try holding down the
ALPHA key, and using your other hand to hit the A, S, and N keys, then
let go. Press ENTER. Both lines on the stack are processed and
disappear. From now on, holding LS and pressing ENTER should convert a
dec to a frac.
Let me know how this goes for you.
--
Dave Boyd
> Hi allOK, generally:
> I want to assign a key to to decimal to fraction converstion. I found
> instructions on the net but they are HORRIBLE for the novice. If you
> know how can you send me DETAILED instructions, step-by-step, including
> what do I do after I press StoreKey so it is saved (for use more than
> once). This regards the HP50g. thank you
Most things on the 50G work a bit more easily in RPN mode (and that's
the only mode I use) so these instructions presume that you are that
mode, and also that you are using the "soft menus" instead of the
"choose boxes". Both settings are available by pressing the MODE key,
but the "soft menu" is under the FLAGS option, option -117.
That done, the steps are:
1) pick one of the available decimal-to-fraction functions
2) make a program that calls it
3) pick a key to which you will assign the program
4) assign it
and optionally
5) save the configuration somewhere so that you can easily restore it
In detail:
1) Leaving aside for now the possibility of writing your own program,
the main choices are: \->Q, \->Q\pi, and XQ. (These "\->" things are
7-bit representations of symbols not found in ASCII, the kind of thing
familiar to C programmers, as explained here:
http://groups.google.com/group/comp.sys.hp48/msg/52e9cc3ee2b369b8
Briefly, the "\->" is the right-arrow symbol found on the keyboard at
right-shift 0, and the "\pi" is the Pi symbol found at left-shift SPC.
Many RPL functions which convert one data type to another start with
or contain the right arrow.) \->Q converts a real (a decimal number) to
an algebraic fraction, e.g. .55 becomes '11/20'. "\->Q\pi" does the
same but in terms of pi if possible, so .55 becomes '11/20' and
1.72787595947 becomes '11/20*\pi'. If you want to play with these for a
bit, they are found in the CONVERT menu in the REWRITE submenu. XQ is
similar to \->Q\pi. So let's use it for this.
2) The simplest program that calls XQ in RPN mode is \<< XQ \>>. The
double-angle-brackets are the program delimiters, and are found on
right-shift +. Press that, then press alpha and then X, then alpha and
then Q. Press ENTER. You should have \<< XQ \>> on the stack.
3) Now to pick a key. In a basic 50G, there are six shift states you
can or should use: unshifted, alpha, left shift, left shift held, right
shift, and right shift held. Most keys have default functions assigned
for unshift, alpha, left, and right; only a few have functions assigned
to the held shifts as well (for instance right-shift-held ENTER toggles
between exact and approx mode). Therefore, unless you want to overwrite
some default assignment you don't care for, try to use a combo that
isn't currently used, like left-shift-held ENTER (I'm going to start
using RS and LS for right and left shift now...) Since RS ENTER is
already \->NUM, which is the frac-to-dec function, LS-held ENTER makes
some sense. The key number is made up of: row number, col number,
point, shift key, held. Row num is 1 to 10, col num is 1 to 6, shift is
0 to 3, held is 0 or 1. The shift key numbers are in order going down,
that is, unshifted is 0, alpha is 1, LS is 2, RS is 3. Examples:
unshifted F1 key is 11.00 (row 1, col one, no shift, not held)
RS COS key is 54.30 (row 5, col 4, RS, not held)
LS-held ENTER is 105.21 (row 10, col 5, LS, held)
So now type 105.21 ENTER, so your stack has \<< XQ \>> and below that
105.21.
4) To assign the program to the key, type ASN. Try holding down the
ALPHA key, and using your other hand to hit the A, S, and N keys, then
let go. Press ENTER. Both lines on the stack are processed and
disappear. From now on, holding LS and pressing ENTER should convert a
dec to a frac.
Let me know how this goes for you.
--
Dave Boyd