Amortization chart operational!

My first little VB effort (other than the hello world post) is operational! Not fully, but useable. Here is a screen;



Heck, it's even fairly accurate too! I checked it vs. one of those online java calculators and it matched up dollar for dollar. The toughest part was coming up with the right formula for figuring out what the payments would be. Whenever I'd look for it on the web, I'd end up at another "just plug in your numbers here" site without the formula itself. Finally found it here.

Anyway, no real point to this post, just excited to see it operational. I spent WAY too much time today dinking around with trying to get Bejeweled for PPC working on my MP789 (is that the right pseudo-term for a 780 w/ 790 rom?). Not working, but I did get the initial screen to come up and then immediately go away. Tried all kinds of dll's, hex edits, etc. etc. nothing doing. Probably for the best as I did get this loan calculator working after my frustration.

Now that's a cool thing to have for us homeowners. I wouldn't mind having it.

Good stuff! Always good to see people hacking at things that they want to use for themselves

If you have any inclination to release stuff, I'd really recommend having a look at using C rather than VB, as C compiles to native code rather than the "pvb" format which needs in interpreter. Having said that, EVB is a great tool and if that's what you feel comfortable with, stick with it: it'd be great to see more apps, whether written in EVB or C!

Thanks all. I realize vb isn't the best format, just wanted to see if I could get it to work. Just learning C here myself, found a good little tutorial site on it so I'm going through that now. I also ordered that CE programming guide off of Amazon (for grand total of like $6 incl. shipping!). Book hasn't arrived yet, so thought I'd spend some time with VB in the interim.

Also, I'll finish up this little app and make it available. Once I get up to speed with C I'll redo it. Right now I need to fix the speed of the thing. It takes around 30-40 secs (30 year mortgage) to fill in the grid control. I tried the old trick of making the control invisible while it gets filled in, then making it visible again, but I think that actually slowed it down. I have a couple more ideas to try, we'll see. Anyone else with suggestions fire away!

I wholeheartedly recommend any of the "Programming Windows CE" books by Doug Boling: even version 1 or 2 would be good enough for HPC programming.

The speed issue may or may not be fixable: VB is interpreted, so that may be as good as it gets but admittedly the 30 seconds to fill a grid sounds excessive. Have you checked to see whether it's the calculation or the filling that takes time? I'm guessing that filling the grid with static data will take about the same amount of time. If it doesn't, look at optimising your mathematic element.

Nice work Cyberstorm,

How about adding the option to specify start date, end date (you should be able to use VB DateAdd to sort out the complications). You could, of course then get it to tell you how old you are going to be after the final payment, and tie it into that website from the "death thread" to tell you how much time you have left there after to enjoy your purchase... that may be a little excessive though

Keep that up and you'll scare Cyberstorm away from programming altogether !

Cyberstorm.... Hmm, you didn't ever own an Amiga by any chance, did you? I reviewed the Cyberstorm 060 accelerator for CU Amiga back in, er, 1994? Or 1995, possibly...

Nah, can't tie it to age, if I did that it would be too depressing!! Tell you one thing though, I saw a spreadsheet that let's you simulate making one extra payment per year, it's astounding how much you save. Litterally my 30 year mortage would be paid off 7 years earlier by just making one extra payment per year (now if you do the math - you can approximate how much my house cost me ). Need to add that feature in. Best way to do it, is just add $50, $100, $200 whatever you can afford to your monthly payment per month and make sure your bank applies it to the mortgage and your set. Most banks have, in fine print, "any additional payment amounts will be applied to escrow" so that wont do you any good.

Woot! Got my Windows CE coding book in the mail today! In like-new condition and even the sample cd's are there in unopened condition. Stoked! <-does anyone actually say "stoked" anymore? Did they used too?

I confess!

Hmm, I should probably find one of those programming for H/PC books...

Since everyone should know what book I recommend for learning C by now, I will not write it again here.

And then there was that word problem with magic pellets and donkey eyeballs...

Yes - make sure they apply the extra payment amount to the 'Principal' and not the Interest or Escrow.

As a matter of fact I do, sadly only an old A500 with the Ram/clock upgrade module. I used to drool over A3000's and A4000's back then. What a great system that was! Driven into the ground by Commodore's complete lack of marketing knowledge. They would have a hard time selling ice water in the desert if you ask me. I see another company is "reviving" the Commodore brand name now too, plan on making GPS's etc. if I recall correctly. Let's see, what is that - the 10th, 12th company to buy the brand name?

Do you own any Amigas? Man I'd have killed for an 060 accelerator back then, heck the 020 and 030 accelerators for the 500 would have rocked!

Oh boy I'm in for a slight learning curve here to eVC. I started digging into the book last night - just a bit different from eVB !! Well, if it wasn't a challenge what fun would that be? Back to my C tutorial I think for now...

Yes, I own an A500, A2000, A3000 (sadly dead) and A4000 with WarpEngine 040, Piccolo SD64 and a few other goodies running OS 3.9.

Good luck with the learning. I'm really delighted to see so many developers around here

Just downloaded this app from the thread where Cyberstorm posted the link. It's incredible! Thanx a million (or at least 200,000), CS!