Introduction to RPD-95 Programming


A keystroke programming language is built into the RPD-95. By using the features and capabilities of this language, you can reduce the amount of manual work required for repetitive problem-solving tasks.


What Is Keystroke Programming?

Keystroke programming, in its simplest form, consists of storing a sequence of keystrokes in the calculator's memory. The key sequence that is stored is called a program and the process of storing the keystrokes is called programming. After storing a program in memory, you can perform the key sequence by running the program.

You can store virtually all the functions of the RPD-95 in a program.

Besides the functions used for calculations, you can include special programming functions that enable your program to perform operations such as displaying messages, repeating key sequences, and making decisions.

Why Write Your Own Programs?

The main advantages of writing a program are to save time, improve productivity, and avoid errors. Writing a program can be especially beneficial when:
  • You need to solve a problem that requires an iterative process to arrive at a solution.
  • You need to perform a lengthy calculation repetitively, using different data for each repetition.
  • You need to change the sequence of steps in a calculation based on a condition or on the value of an intermediate result.
  • You need to retain a keystroke solution for future use.

By writing a program for such tasks, you can reduce your workload to entering the numbers needed by the program. You do not need to reenter the keystrokes that are stored in the program. Your program can prompt you for the required information, control the sequence of steps, perform the calculations, and display and label the results.

Programming Features

The RPD-95 has features that make it easy to write programs. Some of these features include:
  • 7200 bytes of user memory, partitioned as data registers, program steps, and file space. You can change the partitioning of this memory to suit your programming needs.
  • An alphabetic display that shows program instructions in a readable, mnemonic form, rather than as a series of numeric codes that you must memorize or look up to interpret.
  • An alpha mode that lets you display descriptive messages from within a program. You might use such messages to label the result of a calculation, request information, or indicate errors.
  • Five user-definable function keys that can be labeled in the display. You can design your programs to define the function of each key.
  • Storage and retrieval functions that let you save programs and data as files for later use. You can save files in the calculator's file space, in a emulated Constant Memory™ cartridge, or in a shared document space that lets you share your programs with others via application file sharing. Program files that are saved in the calculator's file space or in a Constant Memory cartridge can be executed directly from the file space or cartridge.

Using This Guide

This book describes the functions used to program your calculator. The preliminary chapters cover functions basic to all programming tasks, such as entering and executing a program. Later chapters introduce more complex functions, with the final chapters discussing the most sophisticated functions of the calculator.

A reference section is included at the end of each chapter. This section can be beneficial in two ways. First, you can use it to review the information discussed in the chapter. Second, you can use it as a reference source when you want to look up details about the functions. Some of the detailed information provided in the reference sections is not repeated elsewhere. If you are already familiar with a keystroke programming language, you can use these sections to discover differences between the RPD-95 and the calculator that you know.

Because each chapter builds upon the material discussed in earlier chapters, it is recommended that you read the chapters in the order presented.

The appendices provide information on manipulating the system memory of the calculator and using the input/output functions, as well as tables listing character codes, key codes, and instruction mnemonics.

Notational Conventions


Many functions are incomplete without additional identifying data following the function. This data is referred to as a field. For example, to store a number in memory, you must follow the [ STO ] key with the address of the register in which you want to store the number. The register address is the field.

Notational conventions allow you to see at a glance whether a field is required by a function. The following notational conventions are used to represent fields in this book.
  • An n character represents a digit (0-9) in a field. The number of n characters in the notation indicates the number of digits in the field. For example, [ INV ] [ 2nd ] [ GTL ] nnnn represents a 4-digit field.
  • An X character represents a letter in a field. Any letter from A through Z is valid for this field. For example, [ STO ] nnn or X indicates that [ STO ] can have either a three-digit numeric field or a letter field. In fields of this type, a lowercase letter is converted automatically to an uppercase letter.
  • An a character represents an ASCII character (digit, letter, or punctuation sign) in a field. This type of field is referred to as an alphanumeric field. The number of a characters in the notation indicates the number of alphanumeric characters in the field. For example, [ 2nd ] [ LBL ] aa indicates a two-character alphanumeric field. Alphanumeric fields can contain both uppercase and lowercase letters.
  • An h character represents a hexadecimal digit in a field. The hexadecimal digits are 0 through 9, and A, B, C, D, E, and F (A through F are entered with the [ 2nd ] [ AH ] through [ 2nd ] [ FH ]). The number of h characters in the notation indicates the number of hexadecimal digits in the field. For example, { SBA } hhh indicates a 3-digit hexadecimal field.


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