[PD-dev] proposed new "list" object

[Miller Puckette]

> > 
> > 1) a storage object for lists would also be useful in main-pd (like "lister"
> > from zexy - maybe the easiest way would be to make a 2.inlet at the "list"
> > object (to have the same behaviour as "symbol" or "float" ...) ?
> 
> I think, "list append" would be just that. However I agree that using
> the plain "list" for this would feel more natural compared to the
> other Pd types symbol and float. 
> 

There's a delicate problem with "list" sprouting an inlet to store lists...
what do you do when someone "bangs" it?  If "bang" is to be considered as
the same thing as an empty list, then the correct thing would be to replace
the stored list with an empty one, then output it -- but that would make it
impossible ever to get the stored list back out!

On the other hand, perhaps "list" should be taken to mean "list append" and
to just prepend a "list" selector should be some more special name like
"list listify".  Seems to me that's more ugly than having to use "append" to
store lists, but maybe there's a third way somewhere...

cheers
Miller

> A further suggestion by me would be to maybe add a kind of combination
> "list first" and "list last", that is: Give "first" a second outlet
> wich outputs the rest of the list. 
> 
Seems like this would be a great convenience.  Maybe I should just omit
"list first" and "list last" and replace them with a "list split" that
splits it in two at any desired point.

> Reading through the planned actions, it might be useful to take a look
> at the max object [zl] which is also available in Cyclone. For those
> who don't know it, I attached the help file. I sometimes used it, but
> not too often yet to say anything about which operations would be
> useful to have in a Pd "list" object as well. 
> 
My own motivation is to make it possible to write libraries such as
RRADical (especially RRADical!) without needing to include other libraries
(which is confusing, especially because of the two competing "prepend"
objects.)  So if you can name any other functionality you'd need beyond
what's here I'll certainly want to put it in.  (Not even limited to the
list object...)

cheers
Miller