There's a method entirely based on group theory, a version of the original computer algorithm created to solve the cube (the Thistlewaite algorithm) simplified for use by a human [1]. It iteratively solves the cube into simpler groups that need a smaller moveset to solve (the last step uses only half turns on each face, no quarter turns). It requires only a bit of memorization, and you can understand exactly how the algorithm works. It's not a great speedsolving method, but you can get relatively fast with it: in [2] there's a solve below 30 seconds.
Some of the chord charts are machine readable (available as just plain text), while others are images, but looks like all/almost all of them are available as MIDI as well.
> On a modern x86 cpu the ‘xchg’ instruction performs a swap and can do so entirely in the front-end via register renaming. It doesn’t even require a micro-op.
This is only true for AMD cpus, on Intel xchg is 3 uops. Still better than the xor trick, though.
Cubeast looks pretty awesome, but it only works in Chrome, which is a non-starter for me. So a few months back I started my own Python/Qt app, which is roughly similar to Cubeast, but less features as of now: https://github.com/zwegner/CubingB
I haven't had much time to work on it lately, and there's limitations like only supporting Bluetooth on macOS and only one type of cube (the MoYu AI), but it's open source and works pretty well as a timer (both for smart cubes and regular cubes).
That's cool!
Moyu AI is a great cube but the electronics are terrible. I have had 3 already and they all stop tracking moves at some point.
Cubeast is much more than simple timer. The statistics, method steps tracking and case recognition are killer features.
At the same time basic drilling solves is as seemless as on cstimer (and your app it seems) as opposed to native apps from gan or moyu which are bloated and slow.
Fwiw I submitted cubeast to HN some time ago but it didn't get any votes.
Yeah my MoYu also has a face or two that sometimes desync. Really annoying.
I have a basic case recognition feature, though no statistics are tracked there yet. I also have some code for tracking splits (only CFOP), though I haven't integrated it into the app for tracking stats.
csTimer has a ton of features too, but I've completely stopped using it, since CubingB has everything I need for basic timing and lots of improvements (like not losing session data, easily moving solves between sessions, partial scramble diagrams).
For a case like that, I'll use rectangular block mode--it's really fast and intuitive, so I'll usually pick that over :s/a/b/g if it's applicable.
The whole thing would be something like <ctrl-v>5jecs<esc>. Ctrl-v starts rectangular block mode, go down 5 lines and to the end of the word, change selection to "s", return to normal mode.
Still get the stupid "try 1 month free trial" popups whenever I book a ride though, can't see how to turn those off.