[PD-dev] pow~ in Cyclone [was: Re: stripping down Pd-extended's default libs]

[Martin Peach]

Frank Barknecht wrote:
> Hallo,
> Martin Peach hat gesagt: // Martin Peach wrote:
> 
>> Well isn't it just easier to use something with a different name? If you 
>> have a backwards [pow] why not just call it [backwardspow] instead of 
>> letting users guess which [pow] is the right one?
> 
> If a former external becomes a builtin in some future Pd version, you
> cannot use something with a different name, you can only rename the
> old external to something else. And what if the new builtin name was
> used by different, conflicting classes? What if Pd gets a [counter]
> builtin as is sometimes requested?
> 

I suggest that the first object to use the name 'owns' the name and any 
subsequently invented objects use different names. That's all. If 
there's already a [counter] then Pd's new builtin counter would have to 
be called [pdcounter] or something. The name doesn't affect the 
function, and usually is not much use beyond being a unique identifier.
You still need to look at the help patch to know what any version of 
[counter] actually does.

Martin