[PD-dev] an idea for Pd structure

[Hans-Christoph Steiner]

On Oct 14, 2004, at 6:31 PM, Tim Blechmann wrote:

> hi hans
>
>> Most great computer languages are largely built using themselves.  C,
>> Java, Objective-C, Smalltalk, Forth, etc. etc.  These are all
>> languages  where most of the APIs and even the compilers are written
>> in the same  language.  I think Pd should be the same.
> i must say, i don't really agree with what you suggest ... building a
> c-compiler in c is probably a good task for c, but a pd build system in
> pd? i doubt that something like that would work ...
>
> pd is a language ... and a very powerful language in the fields where  
> it
> is built for ... but there are tasks where another language might be
> better ... maybe that's why there are extensions to access c, python,
> scheme, ruby, forth (... ???) from pd ...
>
> i'm not against patching at all, but there are certain tasks, that can
> be realized within python or k_cext within 30 minutes, that would take
> (at least for me) several hours ...

I didn't mean to suggest that we implement a build system in Pd, I  
wasn't the best example of what I am trying to communicate.  I meant  
that to be an example of the depths that many language designers go to  
implement the language in that language.  I don't mean to say that we  
need to stop writing Pd objects in C, python, whatever, I just think  
that we should try to make as much of Pd as possible implemented in Pd.

As for patcher vs. procedural/OO programming, its a very different  
mindset, and I think its harder to learn a patcher language if you  
already know procedural or OO programming.  But I have recently been  
pushing myself to try to think in a Pd way when programming with Pd,  
and try to break the habit of procedural/OO programming.  I had a  
number of minor breakthroughs where I found that when I did things the  
Pd way, it was actually really quick.

This reminds me of my phases of learning programming.  I started with  
BASIC, line numbers and all, and when I started with procedural  
programming, it was my habit to write long, convoluted procedures.  It  
took time to learn how to write nice, short procedures.  And of course,  
I had similar experience in the switch from procedural to  
object-oriented programming.

.hc

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