JonnyMac's Prop-1 Programming Attack!

[JonnyMac]

The above title is for a book that has been rattling around in my head and various files on my computer for a long time now.  One of the reasons I waited, aside from a perfectionism complex, is that I didn't know what I didn't know vis-a-vis our various user groups and how to structure the book accordingly.

John and I have been at this a couple years now so I think it's time to solidify my ideas, get them out of my head and computer, and share them with the world. The process is not one I've used before -- it's a bit of an experiment: I'm going to release the material here, a little at a time, so that you can work through it, ask questions, and from those questions I can make updates and improvements to the text. I saw another person use this process for a different processor, but that person was a beginner thinking that a beginner is the best teach for a beginner -- it didn't work out as he intended.

I think it's fair to say that I'm an expert in programming the BS1, the "brain" which runs the Prop-1 controller. The BS1 was released in late 1993 and I started with it in early 1994. Honestly, there have been very few days between then and now when I wasn't writing or thinking about PBASIC code. I have helped programmers in countless applications: science, industrial, entertainment -- you name it, I have probably written a bit of code for it.

So what's the goal? In the end, I hope to teach you how think like a programmer so that you can solve problems with the Prop-1 (and know when the Prop-1 is NOT enough for the problem at hand). In the end I want to allow you to have even more fun with the Prop-1. Of course, programming is programming, so what you learn will serve you well with the Prop-2 (small syntax changes are easy) and even when you start hacking the HC-8+ or one of our other Propeller-based products. Once you learn to think like a programmer.

When all is said and done there will be a book that you can purchase -- but you don't have to wait for it. I'm going to release each chapter one at a time (could be partial chapters depending on complexity) here in our forums. I will create a sub-forum under the Prop-1 where we can have threads per chapter, just to keep everything organized. The reason for releasing it a bit at a time is that it allows me to tune the text to your needs and clarify concepts that may be tricky, or I didn't explain well the first time.

So... if you will, post any and all desires for such a text book here. I have started the introductory chapter which explains what the Prop-1 is and all its parts. I will post it a week from today and will post new chapters every Monday after (okay, the Monday following Transworld may be skipped -- I think you can forgive me that one).

John and I have a lot of fun writing code for our friends and customers, and we want you to have that kind of fun, too. To us there's nothing better than the smile on a person's face when a program does what's intended, and for us the real joy is watching a person define a problem and then write the code that solves it. My big ego tells me I can get anyone there given a little effort on their part. From what I've seen in our forums, EFX-TEK customers are willing to put in that effort so I'm going to put in the effort to get this material on paper for you to have any time in any place.

Okay... we start next week. Between then and now, let me know what -- in your mind -- would make a perfect Prop-1 programming book.

[Preston]

If I start to think like a programmer does that mean that I will dream in "0"'s and "1"'s ??

[bsnut]

Okay... we start next week. Between then and now, let me know what -- in your mind -- would make a perfect Prop-1 programming book.

These some of the ones I can come up with
1) Those tips and tricks that you learned from programming the Basic Stamp 1 the brains of Prop-1.
2) Coding dos and don't s
3) Better use of the PBasic Operators
4) How to make use of the I/O. Such as creating I/O lines with few pins.

     

[bsnut]

I forgot thing that will be helpful in your book Jon and that is. Use some of the elements from your Nuts&Volt articles. Since there is a lot of useful info in those articles.   

[JonnyMac]

I will be scouring through my N&V articles and the 100s of files on my computer that I've written since 1994 (yes, that's how long I've been working with the BS1). I'm sure that there's lots of little tricks that I've created and forgotten about -- will be nice to have them in a consolidated reference.