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Menus

Popup Menus and Menu Bar

Using popup menus

Several popup menus are available in the simulator. They are opened by clicking with the right mouse button (B3) on an element of the user interface, e.g. a button, the display, etc.; or by using a keyboard shortcut of the form Altkey

If you open a popup menu by clicking on an element of the user interface, the top left corner of the menu appears at the position of the mouse pointer. If you open a popup using a keyboard shortcut, the top left corner of the popup appears at the bottom left corner of the GUI element.

In addition to the popup menus, a menu bar can be enabled.

macOS specifics

Popup Menus

Earlier versions of Tcl/Tk did not support fixed-width fonts in popup menus on macOS; a feature needed for the simulator popup menus. Therefore popup menus on macOS were simulated with normal windows. Recent combinations of Tcl/Tk and macOS no longer have this limitation anymore and native popup menus are now used by default. However, this has the disadvantage that all native popup menus are always single-column. You can therefore return to the old style menus by unchecking "Native macOS popup menus" in the Menus section of the preferences.

The only exception is the program menu, which is always a normal window. This is because coloured entries and multi-column popup menus are not supported by macOS.

Menu bar

Under macOS, the menu bar is always on, as it serves as the application's standard menu bar.

ON Menu

The ON popup menu provides functions that are typical for a "File" menu.
  • Mouse: B3ON, B3Area around the display (The area around the display)
  • Keyboard: AltO, F10
Menu item Shortcut Description
Open program… CtrlO Open an HP-15C program. Opens the standard operating system Load File dialogue box to select a file. The new program will override the current program(s) when loaded.
Recent programs ▸ - Recent programs submenu. See below.
Save program… CtrlS Save the current HP-15C program(s). Opens the standard operating system Save File dialogue box for specifying a file.
Program description… F12 Opens the Program Description dialogue box. Used to add and edit the program documentation.
HTML help: text CtrlF1
ShiftF1
Displays the HTML help file for the current program.
If an HTML file exists, "text" is the filename without an extension. If no file is found, the menu item label is "<not available>" and the item is greyed out.
Clear storage registers ShiftEsc Reset all storage registers to zero.
Memory ▸ - Memory submenu. See below.
Stay on top CtrlT The Simulator stays on top of all applications on the desktop, even if it does not have the focus.
Swap comma and period Alt.
Alt,
Swaps the representation of the decimal point and the digit separator.
Preferences… Ctrl,
Ctrl;
This item opens a dialogue box that allows you to configure the Simulator. See Preferences for details on configurable items.
Help F1 Starts a web browser with the simulator online help.
Show back side - Shows the back side of the HP-15C Simulator.
About HP-15C… - Opens a dialogue box with the Simulators copyright, disclaimer, serial number and other information.
Exit AltF4 Turns the Simulator off.

Recent programs submenu

Menu item Shortcut Description
program-0program-n 09 A list of programs that were previously opened or saved. You can set the number of entries displayed, with options ranging from 0 and 30, in the Preferences. The first ten entries in the list can be accessed quickly using the shortcuts 09.

A program name is greyed out, if it is not found when the menu is opened. The program is not automatically removed from the list, as the file may only be unavailable temporarily, such as on a network drive that is not currently mounted.

Remove programs not found - Remove all programs from the list that cannot be found, meaning the menu item is greyed out.
Clear list - Remove all entries from the list. A message box will appear to confirm the action.

Memory submenu

Menu item Shortcut Description
Save memory CtrlM Saves the simulator memory to the hard disk. The location and the name of the file depend on the operating system and can not be changed by the user.
Load memory CtrlL Reload the simulator memory.
Reset memory CtrlR Reset the memory to the default value.

◀ ON Menu ▲ Top

Stack Menu

The stack menu shows the contents of the four stack registers and the LAST X (LSTx) register. The stack menu is only available in Run mode, not in PRGM mode.

  • Mouse: B3Display
  • Keyboard: AltS

Selecting one of the menu entries X through T performs a roll-down of the stack. The chosen register becomes the X-register. Selecting the menu item LSTx performs a push on the stack and copies the contents of the LSTx-register to the X register.

The numbers in the popup menu are formatted in the same way as on the display. Suppose you have typed the following:

1 2 ex g √x̅ (or )

1 2 ENTER

7 7 7 7 7 7 ⅟x

4 2

f 7 2 (or simply FIX 2)

If you now right-click on the display, you will see the popup menu shown in the first image:

FIX 2
Stack in FIX 2 format
FIX 4
Stack in FIX 4 format
SCI 3
Stack in SCI 3 format

The key sequence f 7 4 produces the format shown in the second image and f 8 3 produces the format shown in the third image.

In Complex mode, the stack popup menu shows both the real and the imaginary stack:

Real and Complex Stack
Real and Complex Stack

If a stack register contains a matrix descriptor, e.g.  E     2  2, the menu item for this register can be of two different types. Either it can either be a submenu button with a cascading submenu showing the contents of the matrix. Or the menu item shows the matrix descriptor without a cascading submenu.

Cascading submenu
Matrix functions menu
Descriptor only
Matrix functions menu
By default, the menu item for a matrix descriptor is a submenu button. This can be changed in the Menus section of the Preferences.

◀ Stack Menu ▲ Top

Storage Menus

This menu displays the status of the storage registers.

  • Mouse: B3STO, B3RCL
  • Keyboard: AltM, AltR

The storage menu is in either store or recall mode, depending on whether you access the menu with the STO key or the RCL key. Selecting a register in recall mode copies the contents of that register to the X-register. In store mode, the content of the X-register is copied to the selected register.

By default, the storage registers are displayed in two columns. This can be changed to one column in the "Menus" section of the Preferences.

Two-column mode
Two-column storage menu
One-column mode
One-column storage menu

As with the real HP-15C, the user can change the number of available storage registers with f DIM (i). The popup menu shows only the storage registers currently defined, up to a maximum of 20 registers. The registers 0, 1 and I are always available.

If you dimensioned the number of storage registers to 7, the popup menu will look like this:

One-column mode
storage_3regs.gif 193x185
Two-column mode
storage_3regs.gif 386x105

◀ Storage Menus ▲ Top

Matrix Menus

The matrix functions, together with the complex number functions, are the functions that have the greatest impact on the operation of the HP-15C. Matrix functions affect the memory usage. They use key sequences where the g key precedes a gold functions, they make use of the USER mode when entering the data of a matrix and in PRGM mode stores the USER status that was active during the programming.

I therefore strongly recommend that you read the HP-15C Owner's Handbook for a complete list of all matrix functions.

Matrix Content

A matrix contents menu shows the elements of a matrix in a popup window.
  • Mouse: B3AE
  • Mouse over: Matrix descriptor in the stack menu
Two styles are available for the matrix content menus: One with row and column headings like in a spreadsheet and one with "row,column" information before each matrix element:
Row and column headers
Row and column headers
Row and column per element
Row and column per element

Matrix Functions

The matrix functions menu provides ten matrix specific functions and calculations.
  • Mouse: B3MATRIX
  • Keyboard: AltZ
Matrix functions menu
Matrix functions menu
Number Function Description
0 0 DIM Dimensions all matrices to 0×0.
1 1→R0, 1→R1 Sets row and column numbers in R0 and R1 to 1.
2 AP → Ã Transform ZP into .
3 à→ AP Transform into ZP.
4 AT Calculate transpose of matrix specified in X-register.
5 ATB Multiplies transpose of matrix specified in Y-register with matrix specified in X-register. Stores in result matrix.
6 B=B-AC Calculates residual in result matrix.
7 MAX Σ|aij| Calculates row norm of matrix specified in X-register.
8 (Σ|aij|²)½ Calculates Frobenius or Euclidean norm of matrix specified in X-register.
9 |A| Calculates determinant of matrix specified in X-register. Places LU in result matrix.

◀ Matrix Menus ▲ Top

Program Menu

This menu shows the current program steps in a multi-column list. It is the equivalent of the real HP-15C function GTO CHS # # # (where # is in [09]), which moves the program pointer to the step with the given number.

In PRGM mode the menu is invoked by:

  • Mouse: B3Display, B3GTO
  • Keyboard: AltS

In Run mode the menu can only be invoked by:

When you select a program step from the menu, the program pointer is positioned on that step. In PRGM mode, the selected program step is also shown in the display.

Three settings affect the layout of the menu (see Menus).

The following figure shows some examples of popup menus:

Code
Code
Code and colour
Code and colour
Mnemonics
Mnemonics
Mnemonics and colour
Mnemonics and colour

By default, the menu displays coloured mnemonics.

◀ PRGM Menu ▲ Top

GSB Menu

This menu shows all defined program labels. If no labels are defined, the menu is not shown.

  • Mouse: B3GSB
  • Keyboard: AltF3

You can choose whether the labels are sorted or listed in the order they appear in the program (the default). If the labels are sorted, letter labels are sorted before number labels.

If a label is used more than once, it will only appear once in the sorted list. The unsorted list shows all occurrences. Note that in this case, the current program position determines, which occurrence of the label is actually accessed.

If a label description is available in the Program Documentation, this description is shown next to the label.
If the label description starts with a "#", the description is not shown. This can be used to hide subroutines that should not be called directly, but only from within the program.

The following examples are from the "Time Value of Money" program:

Unsorted
Unsorted GSB menu
Sorted
Sorted GSB menu

◀ GSB Menu ▲ Top

Flag Menu

This menu shows the status of the 10 flags.

  • Mouse: B3F?
  • Keyboard: AltF

A value of "1" indicates that a flag is set ("on"), a value of "0" indicates that it is not set ("off"). The Flags 1 to 7 are user defined flags. Flag 8 indicates whether the Simulator is in Complex mode or not. Flag 9 indicates whether the display is blinking.

When you select a menu item in PRGM mode, the sequence "43. 6. n" is inserted into the program, to query the status of Flag n. Selecting a menu item in Run mode has no effect.

◀ Flag Menu ▲ Top

Test Menu

The test menu provides access to ten comparison operations that cannot be accessed directly from the keypad. The test menu is only available in PRGM mode, not in Run mode.

  • Mouse: B3TEST
  • Keyboard: AltT

The HP-15C has 12 different comparison operations. Two of them, x≤y and, x=0, are directly accessible from the keypad. The remaining ten can be accessed via g TEST n, where n is the code of the operation:

Test menu
Test menu

When you select a menu item in PRGM mode, the sequence "43.30. n to perform test n is inserted in the program.

◀ Test Menu ▲ Top

Error Menu

If an error occurs, the HP-15C will display the word "Error" followed by the error code n:   ERROR  N . The error popup menu provides a decoding for the error numbers.

  • Mouse: B3Display
  • Keyboard: AltS
No.Short desc.Description
0y ÷ 0, LN 0, … Invalid mathematical operation

Invalid argument in one of the following routines:

×, where x = 0.
yx, where

  • in Real mode y < 0 and x is not an integer.
  • in Real mode y = 0 and x ≤ 0.
  • in Complex mode y = 0 and Re(x) ≤ 0.
√x̅, in Real mode where x < 0.
⅟x, where x = 0.

LOG, where

  • in Real mode x < 0 or
  • in Complex mode x = 0.
LN, where
  • in Real mode x<0 or
  • in Complex mode x=0.
SIN-1, where in Real mode |x|>1.
COS-1, where in Real mode |x|>1.

STO ÷, where x = 0.
RCL ÷, where the content of the addressed register is 0.

Δ%, where the value in the Y-registers is 0.

HYP-1 COS, where in Real mode x<1.
HYP-1 TAN, where in Real mode |x|>1.

Cy,x or Py,x, where

  • x or y are not integers;
  • x<0 or y<0;
  • x>y;
  • x or y≥1010.
1LN A, SIN A, … Invalid Matrix operation

Applying an operation other than a matrix operation to a matrix, that is, attempting a nonmatrix operation while a matrix is in the relevant register (whether the X- or Y-register or a storage register).

2Σ Error Invalid statistic operation

, n = 0.
s, n ≤ 1.
ŷ,r, n ≤ 1.
L.R., n ≤ 1.

3R?, Aij? Invalid address for register or matrix element

The addressed storage register or the indexed matrix element does not exist.

4LBL?, GTO > MEM,
PRGM > MEM
Invalid line number or label name

Program step addressed by line number is not in use or does not exist (line number > 448). Attempt to enter more than 448 program steps. Addressed label does not exist.

5> 7 RTN To many nested subprograms

More than 7 nested subprogram levels.

6SF > 9, CF > 9, F? > 9 Invalid flag

Attempt to call a flag greater than 9.

7SOLVE(SOLVE), ∫xy(∫xy) Recursive call to SOLVE or xy

A program called by SOLVE calls SOLVE; a program called by xy calls xy.

8SOLVE ? No root found

SOLVE can not find a root in the given interval.

9ON / × Service

This error cannot occur with the Simulator.

10DIM > MEM Insufficient memory

Not enough memory to perform the requested operation.

11DIM A ≠ DIM B Invalid matrix element

Inconsistent or improper matrix arguments for a given matrix operation:

+ or +, where the dimensions are incompatible.
×, where:

  • the dimensions are incompatible; or
  • the result is one of the arguments.
1/x, where the matrix is not square.
scalar/matrix ÷, where the matrix is not square.
÷, where:
  • the matrix in the X-register is not square;
  • the dimensions are incompatible; or
  • the result is the matrix in the X-register.
MATRIX2, where the input is a scalar; or the number of rows is odd.
MATRIX3, where the input is a scalar; or the number of columns is odd.
MATRIX4, where the input is scalar.
MATRIX5, where:
  • the input is a scalar;
  • the dimensions are incompatible; or
  • the result is one of the arguments.
MATRIX6, where:
  • the input is scalar;
  • the dimensions are incompatible (including the result); or
  • the result is one of the arguments.
MATRIX9, where the matrix is not square.
RCLDIMI, where contents of RI are scalar.
DIMI, where contents of RI are scalar.
STORESULT, where the input is scalar.
Py,x, where the number of columns is odd.
Cy,x, where the number of rows is odd.
98File I/O Error Error while opening or saving a program file

This is, of course, not an error code of the real HP-15C.

99Tcl/Tk Error Tcl/Tk interpreter error

This is of course not an error code of the real HP-15C. Although the Simulator has been extensively tested, there may be some undetected errors in the code.

If you encounter such an error, you may find that restarting the Simulator does not solve the problem. In this case the HP-15C memory file must be deleted manually.

Pr ErrorMemory error Continuous memory was reset

The memory of the Simulator has been reset to the default values.

◀ Error Menu ▲ Top

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