tivarslibcpp [](https://github.com/adriweb/tivarslibcpp/actions/workflows/build.yml)

June 7, 2026 · View on GitHub

A C++ "library" to interact with TI-Z80/eZ80 (82/83/84 series) calculators files (programs, lists, matrices...).
JavaScript bindings (for use with emscripten) are provided for convenience.

How to use

In C++

Right now, the best documentation is the tests file itself, which uses the main API methods.
Basically, though, there are loading/saving/conversion (data->string, string->data) methods you just have to call.

Example 1: Here's how to read the source of TI-Basic program from an .8xp file and print it:

auto myPrgm = TIVarFile::loadFromFile("the/path/to/myProgram.8xp");
auto basicSource = myPrgm.getReadableContent(); // You can pass options like { {"reindent", true} }...
std::cout << basicSource << std::endl;

Example 2: Here's how to create a TI-Basic program (output: .8xp file) from a string:

auto newPrgm = TIVarFile::createNew("Program");                       // Create an empty "container" first
newPrgm.setVarName("TEST");                                           // (also an optional parameter above)
newPrgm.setContentFromString("ClrHome:Disp \"Hello World!\"");        // Set the var's content from a string
newPrgm.saveVarToFile("path/to/output/directory/", "myNewPrgrm");     // The extension is added automatically

Several optional parameters for the functions are available. For instance, French input/output for tokenized content can be selected with an options map such as { {"lang", TH_Tokenized::LANG_FR} }, and pretty-printing can enable reindentation with { {"reindent", true} }.

Note: The code throws exceptions for you to catch in case of trouble.

Embedding in another C++ app

For apps that want to vendor the library without Git submodules or a CMake integration, generate the amalgamated distribution files:

make amalgamated

This writes:

  • dist/tivars_lib_cpp.hpp
  • dist/tivars_lib_cpp.cpp

Copy those two files into the host project and compile the .cpp once alongside the app:

c++ -std=c++20 -Ipath/to/tivars-dist \
    path/to/tivars-dist/tivars_lib_cpp.cpp \
    app.cpp \
    -o app

The generated .cpp contains the vendored JSON/pugixml code and token tables, so no other files from this repo are needed.

Graph DataBase (.8xd) readable JSON conversion is enabled automatically when the compiler/library support the required C++ features. If the host app does not need it, compile with -DTH_GDB_SUPPORT=0 to force that implementation off:

c++ -std=c++20 -DTH_GDB_SUPPORT=0 -Ipath/to/tivars-dist \
    path/to/tivars-dist/tivars_lib_cpp.cpp \
    app.cpp \
    -o app

With CMake, the equivalent override is:

cmake -S . -B build -DTIVARS_GDB_SUPPORT=OFF

If TIVARS_GDB_SUPPORT is not set, CMake leaves TH_GDB_SUPPORT undefined and the header auto-detects support. ON and OFF map to TH_GDB_SUPPORT=1 and TH_GDB_SUPPORT=0.

In JavaScript (via Emscripten)

Bindings are done for the necessary classes, so it should be pretty obvious.
Integration example:

<script type="module">
    import TIVarsLib from './TIVarsLib.js';
    const lib = await TIVarsLib();
    const prgm = lib.TIVarFile.createNew("Program", "TEST");
    prgm.setContentFromString("ClrHome:Disp \"Hello World!\"");
    const filePath = prgm.saveVarToFile("", "MyTestProgram");
    const file = lib.FS.readFile(filePath, {encoding: 'binary'});
    ...
</script>

You can find code that use this project as a JS lib here: https://github.com/TI-Planet/zText (look at generator.js)

On macOS: Quick Look app extensions

This repo ships a modern macOS Quick Look host app with embedded Preview and Thumbnail extensions, which is the supported replacement for the removed legacy .qlgenerator plugin model on macOS 15+.

Build it with:

cmake -S . -B build
cmake --build build --target tivars_quicklook_app

That produces build/TIVarsQuickLook.app, containing:

  • TIVarsQuickLookPreview.appex
  • TIVarsQuickLookThumbnail.appex

Install the app bundle for the current user with:

mkdir -p ~/Applications
cp -R build/TIVarsQuickLook.app ~/Applications/
qlmanage -r

The CMake build ad hoc-signs the app and both extensions automatically when codesign is available.

The Preview extension returns rich HTML previews for parsed variable/flash metadata and readable content when available. The Thumbnail extension renders custom badges/cards keyed off the detected TI file type.

If macOS does not pick the extensions up immediately, useful diagnostics are:

pluginkit -m -A -D -p com.apple.quicklook.preview
pluginkit -m -A -D -p com.apple.quicklook.thumbnail

Automated fuzzing

A libFuzzer target is available through CMake and exercises both TIVarFile and TIFlashFile parsing, plus a small amount of post-parse processing and single-entry roundtripping. Check ./run_fuzz.sh for details.

Vartype handlers implementation: current status

Vartypedata->stringstring->data
Real✓✓
Real List✓✓
Matrix✓✓
Equation✓✓
String✓✓
Program✓✓
Protected Program✓✓
Graph DataBase (GDB)✓ (JSON)✓ (JSON)
Complex✓✓
Complex List✓✓
Window Settings✓ (JSON)✓ (JSON)
Recall Window✓ (JSON)✓ (JSON)
Table Range✓ (JSON)✓ (JSON)
Picture✓ (JSON metadata)✓ (rawDataHex JSON)
Image✓ (JSON metadata)✓ (rawDataHex JSON)
Application Variable✓✓
Python AppVar✓✓
Python Module AppVar✓ (JSON)✓ (JSON)
Python Image AppVar✓ (JSON)✓ (JSON)
StudyCards AppVar✓ (JSON)✓ (rawDataHex JSON)
StudyCards Setgs AppVar✓ (JSON)✓ (JSON)
CellSheet AppVar✓ (JSON)✓ (JSON)
CellSheet State AppVar✓ (JSON)✓ (JSON)
CabriJr AppVar✓ (JSON)✓ (JSON)
Notefolio AppVar✓ (JSON)✓ (JSON)
Group Object✓ (JSON)✓ (JSON)
Backup✓ (JSON)✓ (JSON)
Exact Complex Fraction✓✓
Exact Real Radical✓✓
Exact Complex Radical✓✓
Exact Complex Pi✓✓
Exact Complex Pi Fraction✓✓
Exact Real Pi✓✓
Exact Real Pi Fraction✓✓
Operating System / Flash App / Certificate✓ (JSON metadata)✓ (JSON)

Special vartype naming rules are implemented for constrained names such as strings, lists, matrices, equations, pictures, images, GDBs, and settings vars.

Picture/image support exposes metadata as JSON and supports rawDataHex import/export for exact roundtrips; raw pixel decoding/encoding is still not implemented. Flash file support exposes header/object metadata as JSON and supports JSON -> file reconstruction, including multi-header files. Structured AppVar support includes generic subtype detection from raw data / JSON for Python modules, Python images, StudyCards, StudyCards settings, CellSheet, CellSheet state, CabriJr, and Notefolio payloads. JSON schemas for the JSON-compatible formats are available in schemas/.

Big thanks to @LogicalJoe for his research in https://github.com/TI-Toolkit/tivars_hexfiend_templates/