vkACL.ewe (for PDA) version 6.5.17 and higher

[Download   vkACLp.zip   500 Kb]

Pocket computer has long since become a real men friend instead of being a toy. I don't know somebody who is sorry that he has bought the pocket computer. For media applications (books, music, even video) it is more comfortable compared to both a desktop and a laptop. There is no time to read paper books. To read from laptop is not possible, it is necessary to work. But the pocket computer can be used in such situations where no other is possible. As for photographs and pictures in general, the small size of the PDA screen is a serious limit. However, for scientific purposes, for the programs where high speed of calculation is not essential it can be very useful. In January of 2004 i have bought the pocket computer Rover PC P4 (Moscow production) with the operation system Pocket PC 2003. Its weight is only 120 grammes, and it is convenient for keeping inside the pocket of shirt or vest. It is always with me and i have no time to be bored.

However, one problem still exists. Till now there is no sufficiently convenient program product which allows one to use PDA for mathematical calculations. The programs made for the large computer can not be used due to different operation system as well as screen size. There are many possibilities to make programs on large computer and then use them on PDA. But for standard operation system like Windows Mobile, it is impossible to programming directly on PDA. Amond ready external programs there are Basic, DOS emulator and even compiller of C-language. I did not try them and i am not sure that it is convenient -- programming on PDA with compiling only for PDA.

The total solution of the problem is a possibility to make programs which work similarly on both PDA and desktop. Then one can begin a work on one computer, continue on other computer and then return to the first computer once again. Even if the PDA is absent, such program can be used, and when PDA will appear it can be used for the work. For a solution of such problem today the best real platform is a set of Ewe-Java virtual machines (VM) which are developed by Michael Brereton and presented on the web-site http://www.ewesoft.com. The virtual machines are developed for all kinds of PDA as well as for Windows and Linux on desktop. For other operation systems there can be used standard Java VM and a special file containing all classes.

Who does not know, i explain that Java-VM is a program which is installed one time and very simply on the computer. After that the computer becomes able to run the programs written on Java language. Such programs are very compact and omnipotent just due to the fact that all standard operations are well done in Java VM. Unfortunately the VM itself does not give a possibility to make something. One need to write the program on Java and compile it using Java SDK (software development kit). It can be done only on desktop. After that the program will work similarly on both desktop and PDA. But this is inconvenient, and i am not sure that many people will desire to learn Java for a solution some simple task.

I have made the next step. I have elaborated the universal program which is able to read the text from any file, to find in the text the commands which it can understand, and to execute them. The text can be written using any editor including all of them on PDA. However, the program has its own editor which allows one to write the text as well as to run the program for execution. If the error will be found, the program will return to the editor and will show a point of program text where the error was fixed. This is very convenient and fast during the program elaborating and language learning. The commands which are understandable for the program are the base of the new programming language ACL (advanced command language), called in analogy with the known program IDL. The ACL commands have very compact names and all text of the program becomes very compact. This is important because the PDA keyboard is inconvenient. Program has a lot of possibilities for any work with files, texts, creating interactive shells, simple data bases. There is also a ready graphics. And, of course, the program can calculate. The speed of calculation is not high but it is sufficient for many simple applications. The possibilities of the language can be easily examined during execution of special demonstration program which i have done. I use it also for fixing errors. The program [vkACL.ewe] is only executor of the commands. Its power will grow with increasing number of ACL-programs, i.e. ready programs written on ACL. The program written by one can be used by others. Moreover, any program can run other program. Generally all elaborated programs can be organized as one universal program.

Finally, I have made the third version of the program [vkACL.ewe] for PDA. Index of version 6.5.17 simply indicates the date of issue: 6 = 2006, 5 = may, 17 = day of issue. The second version has appeared in internet one year and three months ago. To install the new version you have as before to obtain the file [vkACLp.zip] by clicking a button [Download vkACLp.zip ] on the top of this page. Using Netscape you have to keep pressed the button "Shift". The file has a size of about 0.5 Mb. Inside this file you will find 4 files, among them the file "readme.txt" contains a shot comment for installation. Shortly, files must be simply copied to PDA. I write them on a SD-card directly by means of USB adapter. ActivSinc is not necessary, and files on PDA and on a desktop are exact copies of each other.

Version 6.5.17 is significantly enlarged. I use it for a long time but I have no time to finish a project. Shortly it can be characterized as - more variables, more mathematics, more formats, less errors and more diagnostics. As well there are more ready programs. The new version is able to work with russian ascii-files. There is as well a new program for working with a data base as a card table like address book with alphabetic marks. It allows to find quickly any information without OUTLOOK. All files are the same in PDA and in a desktop.

In addition to ready ACL-programs there now appears a set of ready sub-programmes like macros which exists in many programming systems. I call them super-commands because them are called similar to commands and nothing information like in libraries is needed. In fact, all I have done is to transfer to the PDA version much from what was elaborated for a desktop version. But there is one new moment. The new version allows to change a size of the system font which is absent before. In menu [Help//Settings] one can change the size of font. Then it is better to leave the program by means of menu [Prog//Exit] and run it once again. On the desktop this operation leads to change of the size of the program window.

As before, the program has a new menu item of name "Run", which allows one to run ready programs. Among them there is "File chooser" which shows the total file structure of the computer and allows one to open editting the files of ACL-programs having an extension ".acl". This function is similar to the menu option [File / Open] which exists usually in the windowed programs. In addition, a possibility exists here to run ready ACL-programs written by me. Among them there is Demo program which shows some possibilities of the ACL to create interface and graphics. I have made as well very good "Calculator" which allows one to type the formulae for 8 variables and to keep typed formulae inside 53 cells of data base. It allows to make some simple calculations even without knowledge of ACL. There are other programs as well. Special option of this menu is reserved for running the ACL-program written by user. This program has a special name and the user must to fill the corresponding file with ACL-code. Note the ACL allows one to perform infinite number of operation from any program because each program can run other programs.

As before, special option of menu "Exec" allows one to block an execution of loops if the ACL-program suddenly works very long time and you need to stop a calculation. As a result, now after a finish of work of ACL-program the shell does not restore the initial text of ACL-program for editting, and this must be initiated by means of menu item [Prog / Continue]. However, if the error was fixed, a location of error will be shown. The new version has improved some bugs and has added some new commands and operations. The command of windowed graphics #win now allows to form rather complicated figures, amond them the map of grey levels with the coordinate axes and grey scale. Such figure shows the function of two variables as a black-white contrast. In addition, the command #graph is added for creating the common graphics, which allows one to program an arbitrary picture and has all standard elements like lines, graphical texts, rectangulars, ellipses and arcs. However, it has in addition nonstandard elements like axes of coordinate, positioning the function and drawing the axonometrical projection of 3D-objects.

Also many new mathematical procedures are added which allow one to perform quick calculations with matrices and dependences. Among them there is program of Fast Fourier Transformation, spline interpolation, 2D convolution with Gauss function and even deconvolution, i.e. restoring the initial function from convolution. It is clear that for such work with matrix of large rank the power of PDA can be insufficient. But one can develop an algorithm with matrix of small rank and then to use the program on large computer. At last, the new version can work with zip-archives, i.e. to create zip-archive from files within a list or from several folders as a whole, and also to extract files and folders from zip-archive. Just this function is used for the installation. One can as well to obtain the catalogue of zip archive. The command #input is enlarged for creating the input fields. Particularly this was used in the program "Calculator". The new operation were added for the working with files. The pictures of this site allow you to imagine some possibilities of new version.

A description of new version of ACL language is included in menu item "Help" as a set of text files. I don't change the HTML-variant of the ACL quide [ACLdoc] so far. It can be printed. The decription explaines a work of each command and all its operations. How to use it together can be seen from reading the ready ACL-code, for example the files of the folder "demo" like "demo.acl" or "calcul.acl". There is also the article about simple programming which explaines the ideas. The language sometimes is similar to Java, sometime is rather different from all other languages. However, its usage is simple and shell helps to improve errrors. I repeat once again that the program-interpreter is written on Java-Ewe language which can be obtained on the web-site [http://www.ewesoft.com]. It is necessary to install the Ewe-interpreter or, otherwice, Ewe virtual machine (VM) for a possibility to work with the program "vkACL.ewe". To make this one needs to visit the site [http://www.ewesoft.com] and to click in there a link Downloads.

Last time I am working with the version 1.43 although time to time new versions appear. At the moment of writing this article it was 1.49 but 1.5 was promised long ago. However 1.43 becomes also very convenient. As for a Windows computer, The procedure of installation stays the same. Take a file Ewe143-Installer-Win32.zip, extract an exe-file from it and run. However, the installation on PDA now is different. Take a file Ewe143-Cab-PocketPC2003.zip, extract a cab-file from it, then copy this file on PDA (ActivSinc is not necessary) at any place, and then run "File explorer" and click this file. For other operating system one needs to take other files. This procedure is made for a possibility to install on PDA an analogue of the function "uninstall" in the part of operating system "remove programs". The old installations can be removed only if to remove all files. Since Cab-file disappears during installation I keep it on the SD-card. And when OS of PDA stops the work - sometimes it happens - then to install EweVM is simple. I copy the Cab-file from SD-card to operation memory and run. It diappears but the copy on the SD-card remains. AFTER INSTALLATION EweVM ONE MUST FIRST RUN Ewe Launcher (ewe.exe) AND ONLY THEN vkACL.ewe.

In case of problems write me in Guest book or send e-mails on address vkacl@yandex.ru.