[PD-dev] new pd-devel feature: patches for file associations

[Frank Barknecht]

Hallo,
Hans-Christoph Steiner hat gesagt: // Hans-Christoph Steiner wrote:

> So I fixed a couple bugs in Pd-devel and added a new feature which I'd  
> like feedback on:

Here's some quick feedback, it's all IMO, of course.

> I created a system for associating pd patches to file extensions and  
> created an example wav.pd for opening .WAVs.  Basically, create a patch 
> using the text "$FILENAME" for the filename should go, name it after the 
> file extension (i.e. wav.pd), then drop it into 'pd/associations'.  On 
> start-up, Pd will set up the associations for that filetype.  When you 
> then open a .wav in Pd, it will open wav.pd, replace $FILENAME with the 
> complete path, then create the patch  by sending the contents of wav.pd 
> to pd.

I think, that the $FILENAME syntax is a bit strange in adding another
meaning to dollar signs in messages.  Having a message without any
incoming connection do something is pretty mysterious.  I'd very much
prefer a receiver message coming in through [r pd] and tagged
accordingly like: 

 [r pd]
 |
 [route dnd]
 |
 [route wav]
 |
 [s $0-dropped-wavefile]

Alternatively and IMO even better would be to use an object like:
 
 [draganddrop wav]
 |
 [s $0-dropped-wavefile]

> The next step would be to use this for drag-n-drop functionality, so  
> when you drop an associated file on a canvas (i.e. voice.wav), it would 
> copy-n-paste the contents of wav.pd to that canvas, with the $FILENAME 
> replacement.
>
> Thoughts, objections, comments, improvements?

In general the global registering of filetypes in my view is too
restrictive. I'm pretty sure, that if I'd want to use d'n'd, I'd want
it to do different things depending on which canvas I drop it in. A
sample might be played, when dropped on a sample player, and it might
be loaded into a table when used in a sample bank. The only useful way
to make "wav.pd" work for everything with your system then would be: 
  
  [symbol $FILENAME(
  |
  [s DROPPED_FILE] 

and then we could just directly use a receiver like above.

Third: I'd don't like, that some information about what the
associations patch does is encoded in the filename rsp. object name
"wav.pd", which is a bit against Pd's loose convention of having
patches retain crucial information when printed. [route wav] would
better fit this philosophy.

However patchers should also remember, that some systems (the command
line, RjDj, ...) don't support drag and drop at all.

Ciao
-- 
 Frank Barknecht            Do You RjDj.me?          _ ______footils.org__