TI-Basic Developer

[Fallen Ghost]

Isn't this topic appropriate, pm available within the wiki and discussions in each page available?

[spandiv]

There have been a couple new pages added to the wiki over the last week, but no new members. Which makes me want to point out that a wiki really only works if people participate and collaborate -- refining each page until it is of topnotch quality. That's the logic behind it anyways.

[Sage Orator]

Sorry 'bout that Burr, I've just been crazy busy. Maybe I'll find some time lying around on a weekend and I'll join and work on this.

[alexrudd]

I've still been doing minor edits, but haven't had the time lately for major ones.

[AlienCC]

I haven't been around the last couple of weeks.

--AlienCC

[alexrudd]

Even though I don't really like it when people lock their code, I expanded the "program protection" section.

What is the community's opinion: should all code be open and unlocked, or should you not be able to modify code without the author's permission?

[DarkerLine]

As long as you don't take credit for it, it's okay to change code in my opinion. But of course you can get around any protection, so that doesn't really change things.

I don't do anything to my programs. I don't mind locked programs, but I imagine I would be very disgusted if I came across a program with a "trial period" or something similar.

I actually have an idea for how to make a foolproof authorization routine for a program. I'm not sure if I should post it anywhere... it's a neat idea, but the purpose to which it would be put discourages me. It's kind of obvious, however, that you can get around any "trial period" by simply saving the initial state of external variables when you receive the program, and resetting them to that state when the period is up to start over.

[Sage Orator]

I think it's pointless to lock them. People who really want to will be able to do so. It is really annoying if the program doesn't even work and you can't easily change the code. Also, if it is bad code and you want to change it doing that is rather annoying. Getting around authorization or trial periods is easy. The only reason to do any of this is if you are giving it to people who have absolutly no idea what they're doing. You could give it to them again if they mess it up even then.

Having incidents like with Hays Games is rare. Again, people will still be able to do it if they are insistent upon it. Pirating will always happen, if it is locked the people will probably just go to a different program or do it anyway. Just don't modify it and put it out there. If you want to change it to make it better or better for you then go ahead I say.

[Fallen Ghost]

Locking using ASM programs with self-containing variables is the only way to make it a trial or something like that. But normaly, in the community, trials are the alpha or beta versions of the games, and if you were to have a trial and needed to buy the program, I don't think much people would take it (unless it is very extra well-coded and efficient and fun and etc.)

But I don't think having Basic programs locked is very useful, because it can almost always be optmized, or just to see what others did with their program and how it works. If you want someone to not copy your program when it's in ASM, just don't post the source code because dis-assembly is not fun. But as Sage Orator said, there will always be a way to unlock easily Basic ones, just look at Mirage or DCS.

[spandiv]

The reason I decided to include the program protection page is because it's one of the common requests by beginners. As no other TI-Basic guide or tutorial on the Internet teaches how to do it, I figured it would make sense for us to cover it.

[Sage Orator]

I agree about including it because beginners wish to do it not knowing any better. I just don't agree with doing it.

[Fallen Ghost]

[Weregoose]

I say the more optimized it is, the more willing I am to share it, as I believe others will get the most out of looking at such code. That's my personal opinion, anyway.

[Sage Orator]

I agree, the more optimized it is the more I would like to see it. I would be very appreciative of seeing such code. If I had code that I thought was very optimized or useful, I would definitly share it.

That's completly true. It's hard to make a really good game your first time out. It's a learning experience. That game should improve and they should be able to make better games because of the feed back. It makes them look really noobish if they think that their first game is really good or even good when it isn't.

[Sage Orator]

Sorry for the double post but I can't seem to create an account. When I try to do so the screen just goes dark. Is there something simple that I'm missing?

[Super Speler]

Sage Orator, I was about to post the exact same thing.

[DarkerLine]

The site doesn't work correctly in Opera and possibly some other browsers.

[Sage Orator]

Okay, I'm running Safari. I'll try it in *gasp* IE.

[Super Speler]

*sigh*, I only have safari right now, better download a different browser later today.

[Sage Orator]

Doesn't do anything in IE. I'll download FF though I'm not really supposed to...