"Did You Know..." Archive

Did you know...

…that Finance under the Applications menu is really not an application at all?
…that the arrow and DEL keys can actually be held down, which will cause the key to keep being repeated until it is released?
…that a Repeat loop will always loop at least once, regardless of whether the condition is true or false before entering the loop?
…that you can use -E99 and E99 to represent -∞ and +∞ in many calculations?
…that TI added several new TI-Basic commands to the newer TI-84+/SE calculators?
…that pressing [2nd] [RIGHT] in the program editor will take you to the end of your current line, and [2nd] [LEFT] will take you to the beginning of that line?
…that pressing alpha in the program editor followed by up or down, you will scroll a whole page of program code?
…that the smallest (though not the fastest) way to shade the entire graph screen is Shade(Ymin,Ymax)?
…that you can scroll the Pause command's optional argument to see it in its entirety?
…that placing a Lbl after DelVar will make that Lbl literally disappear?
…that you can omit the closing parentheses, quote, square bracket, curly brace, etc. at the end of a command or function?
…that you can get away with not having a colon or a new line after DelVar?
…that you can use SetUpEditor to UnArchive a list, but at the same time create the list if it doesn't exist?
…that you can make subprograms that are contained inside the program itself, so that they can be called by the program whenever needed?
…that the majority of the graphics commands are dependent upon the window dimensions, so you should always use a friendly graphing window to ensure everything shows up as you intended?
…that you can compress a list of related numbers by combining them into integer and fraction parts?
…that the fastest way to check for a whole number is the command not(fPart(?
…that the String►Equ( command is completely useless, and you can store a string into one of the equation variables just using the → (store) operator?
…that the finance variables are the fastest variables to use, even faster than Ans?
…There is no dyk 28
..oh wait now there is…
…that you can store to the list element one past the last element to add it to the end?
…that lists are the only variable that you can give your own names to?
…that you can run your TI-Basic program from an assembly shell by placing a colon (":") as the first line of your program?
…that you can get rid of the run indicator on the TI-83/84/+/SE by using Text(-1,0,90," " on the graph screen and Output(1,16," " on the home screen?
…that you can use the % symbol or sub( with one argument as a smaller replacement for multiplying by .01?
…that the smallest way to implement the distance formula is by using the R►Pr( command?
…that you can get the number of digits of a number N to the left of the decimal point by using the formula 1+[int(](int.html)[log(](log.html)N)?
…that you can get the home screen font on the graph screen (except on the regular TI-83) by placing a '-1' at the beginning of the Text( command?
…that you can enable the faster circle drawing flag on the TI-83/84/+/SE by placing {i after the last argument of the Circle( command?
…that there are 256 picture variables built-in to the TI-83+ calculator, even though the calculator only shows 10 picture variables?
…that using ΔList( together with cumSum( will return a list with its first element removed?
…that "0<X<10" will actually compare "0<X" first, and compares the result (0 or 1) to 10, so "0<X and X<10" should be used instead?
…that iPart( and int( will return the same answers for positive numbers, but int( will return an answer 1 less than iPart( for (non-integer) negative numbers?
…that you can save memory when displaying text by replacing words such as "If" and "Then" with the appropriate commands?
…that you can draw with different plot marks using Pt-On(X,Y,#)?
…that you can use multiple text arguments at the end of one Text( command to write, for example, Text(R,C,"Score",S)?
…that you can use rand(to create a time delay similar to theWait command on the http://tibasicdev.github.io/thecalcs#toc6|TI-84+CE(http://tibasicdev.github.io/thecalcs#toc6-ti-84-ce)?
…that you can replace the "Done" message that appears after a program is finished running by placing an expression, some text, or just a quote on the last line of your program?
…that Line( has an optional fifth argument that, if zero, will erase the pixels on a line, and, on color calculators, will change the color of the line?
…that you can use [tanh(](tanh.html)E9X to compute the sign of X?
…that while using seq(, the calculator can still interpret keypresses and store them to getKey?
…that you can omit the closing parentheses, quote, square bracket, curly brace, etc. at the end of a command or function?
…that a memory leak is caused when you use a Goto/Lbl within a loop or If conditional (anything that has an End command) to jump out of that control structure before the End command is reached?
…that the TI-83 series of calculators does implicit multiplication, so there is no need to ever use the * sign?
…that it is actually sometimes better to leave on the closing parentheses on the For( loop?
…that you can treat strings as always-undefined variables in symbolic math?
…that ending a variable name with an underscore _ will make 68k:solve() and 68k:cSolve() assume it's complex?
…that the 26 one-letter variables a-z are much smaller to access?
…that the ok system variable checks if a dialog was cancelled?
…that strings are the fastest data type to access, given enough elements?
…that 68k:setMode() and similar commands have an alternate "programmer's syntax"?
…that displaying sprites to column coordinates divisible by 8 is faster than to other coordinates?
…that the 68k:and, 68k:or, 68k:xor, and 68k:not commands can be used as bitwise operators on integers?
…that the expr( command allows you to store an expression to a string and then execute the string?
…that @1, @2, etc. stand in for arbitrary constants in an expression?
…that you can take the n^th root of x by entering x^(1/n)?
…that you can put images in toolbars on the widescreen calculators?
…that you can use 68k:part() to write your own symbolic operations?
…that the calculator can do math with integers up to 2²⁰⁴⁰?
…that if you have a rather bulky matrix or list, you can store it as a string to one of the sequence variables, u,v,w and halve the size? Then, you can evaluate the expression using said variable and Ans(X) where X equals the list or matrix element you want?
…that you can store an empty string into a string variable, but you cannot perform operations on it?
…that you can use check [max(](max.html)N=L₁ to check if N is in L₁, and 1+[sum(](sum.html)[not(](not.html)[cumSum(](cumsum.html)N=L₁ to tell where?
…that the color tokens on a TI-84+CSE/CE can be used as number equivalents for math? For example, BLUE*5 equals 50 while DARKGRAY-4 equals 20?
…that TI 84+CSE and CE calculators have ten high-resolution image slots that can be used as backgrounds for graphing?
…that the Horiz format will split the screen in half horizontally, with both the graph screen and home screen being shown at the same time?
…that the TI-Basic Developer has a complete TI-Basic Starter Kit filled with important tutorials, guides, and tips for new TI-Basic programmers?
…that you can draw different lines for equations by going to the "Y=" menu, pressing left twice, and pressing enter to cycle through the different line types?
…that the Nspire can program in TI BASIC, C, Assembly, and Lua?
…that the Nspire can program in TI BASIC, C, Assembly, and Lua?
…that many of the Windows shortcut key commands work on the Nspire?
…that you can compare multiple data sets in the same graphing window?
…that you can change the color of the input or output of a math box?
…that there are also models aimed for the Chinese market, such as the TI-Nspire CM-C?
…that 68k calculators can not only program in TI-Basic, but can program in Assembly and C as well?
…that you can access the lowercase letters by using an assembly program to turn on the lowercase flag that the calculator uses for enabling lowercase letters?
…that you can use plot sprites to make simple, easily movable sprites on the color calculators?
…that you can use a combination of real and imaginary numbers to compress a real list, and use imag( and real( to decompress it?
…that the Wait command allows decimals? You can do .5 seconds for a half a second!
…that the key codes follow a simple pattern: a key is represented by putting its row and column together?

Authors: KG