[PD-dev] low priority array operations

[Tim Blechmann]

hi all,

i'm currently investigating the possibilities of making pd's array
operations threadsafe to avoid audio dropouts...

apart from objects that fill arrays in realtime, there are two
possibilities of working on arrays:
- soundfiler
- messages to arrays

one of pd's language basics is that messages should be processed at
once. the problem of this is, that if the array operation takes too
long, it results an audio dropout.

my proposal:
we could implement two different behaviours for messages to arrays and
the soundfiler:
- the soundfiler works in a low priority thread on the array,
  syncronizing with the patch by a message to the outlet of the
  soundfiler when done...
- messages to arrays should be processed at once and may result audio
  dropouts
this way, we won't have to break with pd's message handling ...

to achieve this, we will definitely have to add a thread lock for
arrays. i'm willing to implement that, but i'd like to hear, what the
other developers think about that...

cheers...

 Tim                          mailto:TimBlechmann at gmx.de
                              ICQ: 96771783
--
The only people for me are the mad ones, the ones who are mad to live,
mad to talk, mad to be saved, desirous of everything at the same time,
the ones who never yawn or say a commonplace thing, but burn, burn,
burn, like fabulous yellow roman candles exploding like spiders across
the stars and in the middle you see the blue centerlight pop and
everybody goes "Awww!"
                                                          Jack Kerouac