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News about MyFFshell

A new version is ready with new handy features.

Latest is Version 6.0
New version of MyFFshell ready for download.

User can now change Font, Fontsize, FontColor, and BackgroundColor in both the Terminal window, and in the FileEditor window. Your selected settings are saved.

There is a fix to the interface to the "ANSI Console  window".
Each FORTH "CR" (i.e. New line) word, resulted in TWO lineshifts, and Windows Conlole reacts on both $0D and $0A with a new line..
All $0D are now removed before being send to the ANSI Console.
If you really will have control over the Windows ANSI console via ESCape code, checkout this fine document:

https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/console/console-virtual-terminal-sequences

The MyFORTHshell Download now again incudes somehandy files, e.g. some relevant  WEBlinks, you can quickly activate from inside MyFORTHshell via a simple menu-click.

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Version 5.2  now gives you a chance to choose very high Baud Rates for the serial /COM port communication.

Max. speed was formerly 25600 baud. If you need a higher speed, e.g. using Tachyon Forth, select "Custom" baud rate in Serial Setup.

You will get a prompt to enter you higher baudrate, as an integer.

Tachyon is using 921600 Baud, I am told.


If developing on ESP32, the INCLUDE functions can also have this format:

( include <file> ) OR

( include "file" ) AND

( eof )

All above can have any case (i.e., use of uppercase is OK too) 
Will thus appear as comments lines in ESP32Forth.

Remember to choose your processor type in the menu, before connecting via COM port.

The Scamp2 MCU uses Escape codes. But everybody using Windows and a FORTH system. connected via a COM line, might find the ANSI console usefull.


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Version 4.0 includes a Windows 10 Console screen.

See this documentation:

https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/console/console-virtual-terminal-sequences

This can accept ANSI Escape codes, e.g. enabling Bold, Colors etc.

Note that you can change font, size etc. using the small icon in the top left corner.

The Scamp2 MCU uses Escape codes. But everybody using windows and a FORTH system. connected via a COM line might find the ANSI console usefull.

OBS: While console windows in Windows 10 do support VT (Virtual Terminal) /ANSI escape sequences in principle, support is turned OFF by default. You have three options:

Activate support globally by default, persistently, via the registry, as detailed here.

In short: In registry key [HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Console], create or set the VirtualTerminalLevel DWORD value to 1

From PowerShell, you can do this programmatically as follows:

Set-ItemProperty HKCU:\Console VirtualTerminalLevel -Type DWORD 1

From cmd.exe (also works from PowerShell), Copy and Paste this command to Windows Command and hit ENTER:

reg add HKCU\Console /v VirtualTerminalLevel /t REG_DWORD /d 1

Now open a new console window for changes to take effect.

P.S. This last option i most likely the simplest

OBS: MyFFshell and MyFFshellANSIconsole communicates using TCP/IP.
Windows Defender etc... is likely to issue a warning as these are EXE files. Disregard this warning.

Both EXE files have to be placed in the same DIR if you will start the ANSI Console via the new menu entry in MyFFshell.


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Known issue

If your MCU "chrashes", e.g. due to a software bug, or you disconnect the serial USB based terminal connection when a connection is established, MyFFshell can be "impossible" to stop/exit.

If this should happen, you will have to press CONTROL+ALT+DELETE on your Windows PC, in order to force a stop of the program in the JOB LIST.

This seems to be a known problem in my development toll (Delphi7), when using a USB based serial COM-port.
A better solution can hopefully be found.