[PD-dev] width control breaks parsing with [textfile]

[Roman Haefeli]

Hi all

The Pd file format might have its flaws, but I always enjoyed the fact
that Pd files can be parsed with on-board tools like [textfile]. Using
the same format (FUDI) for networking, file I/O, message passing makes a
lot of things easier. 

Pd 0.45 is introducing a new feature to control width for
objects/messages/comments. The way it is implemented breaks the ability
to parse Pd files with [textfile]. The reason is that the format uses an
un-escaped comma to delimit the object arguments from the object
font/width properties. 

The following shows the original file data and after it has been sent
from [textfile] to another and then saved:

orig:

#N canvas 613 117 450 300 10;
#X floatatom 39 54 10 0 0 0 - - -, f 10;
#X msg 122 145 f 31 \, f 31, f 37;

the same 'parsed' by [textfile]:

#N canvas 613 117 450 300 10
#X floatatom 39 54 10 0 0 0 - - -
f 10
#X msg 122 145 f 31 \, f 31
f 37


I don't know any solution off-hand and I also don't know whether Pd was
designed with the possibility in mind to read patches with [textfile]. I
just want to have it mentioned. And yes, it does break some of my
patches (not that this would be a reason not go forward and change Pd's
file format).

Roman