Scratch

After much hard work, I have almost perfected binary-code-like storage for letter variables. It works like this:

Before I start, this is VERY compicated (or at least it is to me!). Know first that:
Bank 1's 'A' = 0
Bank 1's 'B' = 0
Bank 1's 'C' = 0.1
Bank 1's 'A' = 0
Bank 1's 'F' = 1
Bank 1's 'Stored' = 0

The keys are divided into groups of nine because the code can only manage numbers 1 - 9 becuase 10 is 1 and 0. Each group of nine is its own memory bank.

When a key is pressed, it sets its bank's 'L' to the coresponding number. Eg. A=1, B=2, I=9, J=1.

Keys ABCDE are pressed one after the other

Variable 'A' is set to 'L'
Variable 'L' is set to 0
Variable 'B' is set to <B x 10>
Variable 'C' is set to <C x 10>
Variable 'B' is changed by 'A'
Variable 'F' is changed by 1
Variable 'A' is set to 0
Variable 'B' is changed by 'A'
Variable 'Stored' is set to 'F'

In this way the letters are stored like so:
ABCDE will be stored in Bank 1's 'B' as 12345
Bank 1's 'C' will be 10000
Bank 1's 'F' will be 5


The information is retrieved when the 'space' key is pressed in the following way:
Variable 'E' is set to 'B'
Variable 'B' is set to <B x 10>
Variable 'C' is set to <C x 10>
Variable 'B' is changed by 1
Repeat until 'Stored' = 0
Variable 'D' is set to:
'B' divided by 'C' (123451 divided by 100000 = 1.23451)
minus
'B'/'C' mod 1 (1.23451 divided by 1 - 1 = 0.23451)
SO
'B'/'C' - 'B/C' mod 1 = (1.23451 - 0.23451) = 1 (Letter A which is sent to the typing bar)

Variable 'B' is set to:
'B' divided by 'C' (123451 divided by 100000 = 1.23451)
minus
Variable 'D'
which is 1.23451 - 1 = 0.23451
multipied by C (100000)
which is 0.23451 x 100000 = 23451

Variable 'C' is set to <C / 10> (100000/10 = 10000)
Variable 'Stored' is changed by -1 (5 - 1 = 4)

The retrieval process repeats Variable 'Stored' (5) times and then stops.

I have also implemented a code for letters J to R, which consists of another bank (Bank 2) containing letters J to R and a third bank (Bank Number) containing information that is sent to the typing bar telling it which Letter Bank to take its next letter from.
If I wrote AJBJCJ:
Bank 1's 'B' would be 123
Bank 2's 'B' would be 111
Bank Number's 'B' would be 121212 (Bank 1 (A), Bank 2 (J), Bank 1 (B) etc.)

In theory the sytem can hold an unlimited number of characters. However, for some reason, after the 17th character it refuses to continue and writes the remaining letters as a single letter so that ABCDEABCDEABCDEABCDEABCDE comes out as something like this: ABCDEABCDEABCDEABBBBBBBBB. After many rude words, I found out that it has something to do with the way the variable is stored in Scratch itself. Because it attempts to shorten it by storing it as 1.2345e19 it corrupts it somehow causing it stop at the 18th character when it encouters 464.3 it the place of 345.1.

Why does this happen? Can anyone help me with this? It is very, very, very annoying as the only other alternative I can think of (and have tried) is storing each letter in its own variable (L1 = H, L2 = E, L3= L, L4 = L, L5 = O,), which is an excelent system except for the fact that each variable must be created and added to an ever lengthening list. I have only reached 9 and already I've had enough!

Please help me!

SB

Last edited by ScipioBellorum (2008-05-03 09:25:54)