Utilities - calc

Overview

SBTCVM does have a command shell with mathematics functions, and a powerful integer mathematics backend, but for the longest time it hasn't included a graphical calculator. until now.

Presenting SBTCVM's newest utility: calc.py

It provides common operations like invert, mpi, mcv, the usual arithmetic operations like add, and some copy and swap operations, including the ability to either manually, or automatically copy the result to either or even both inputs.  It even features simultaneous decimal, and balanced ternary representation, with ability to enter and edit inputs in either form, with conversions handled automatically.

Dev.to article - calculating fibonacci in balanced ternary

https://dev.to/thomasthespacefox/calculating-fibonacci-in-balanced-ternary

Developers Notes - Challenges in development

Developers Notes: A series of thoughts on SBTCVM's development.

Overview:
SBTCVM. Simple Balanced Ternary Computer Virtual Machine.

Its definitely not a simple project... while most VMs and emulators are based on existing hardware, SBTCVM isn't... its not even based on the same computer logic paradigm as the computers it runs on...

As you might guess, this poses many challenges in both developing the code, and also research into the obscure world of Balanced Ternary computers in general...

Those 3 simple values... Positive, Ground, and Negative... have a certain elegance to them...  and that basic idea of 3 balanced states is represented in SBTCVM's mascot:

The three ears and three eyes are more than a design choice, they symbolize the key difference balanced ternary has with binary. a balanced base three, instead of an unbalanced base two...

Deep meanings aside, it is definitely striking isn't it?


Balanced Ternary Is quite Obscure...  The SBTCVM dev team could just reverse engineer one of the many balanced ternary microprocessors right? no... Yes, I'm being sarcastic, Balanced Ternary is quite an obscure little base number, though it is at least, one with some solid footing... strewn through the history of computing, are various stories on people taking the plunge into the peculiar base number... From the Russian Setun computer, to Thomas Fowler's ternary calculating machine, to even modern-day projects, like balanced ternary adders, multiplexers, and of course, the SBTCVM project.

In the end, SBTCVM is less a new paradigm, and more, part of a rebirth of one.

So what Attracts people to balanced ternary? some say its boredom with binary, others say it is its simple elegant concepts, and others seem to have different reasons altogether...


SBTCVM:  Changing computing; 3 trits at a time.

utilities - helpview

Background:

SBTCVM v2.0.2 has a rather patchy help system. the context help is plain text, and the tutorials were based on a modified point and click game engine.

The new system:

Like the old tutorial system, the new helpview system has multiple pages, and is XML based. key difference: helpview handles all the formatting details, and is resizable, and has a streamlined codebase and xml syntax, and is now fully integrated with the context help of the latest code.

and as you can see in the screenshots, its User interface adjusts to the size of the window.

It handles multi-line text, page links, and even images.