[PD] Implementing a scheme extension language

[Larry Troxler]

(Finally answering this message)

jfm3 wrote:
> 
> On Sat, 28 Apr 2001, Larry Troxler wrote:
> 
> > I am attempting to implement an library which will provide a scheme
> > extension language, and would welcome any comments.
> 
> Would this be at all like the TCL scripting available in jMax?

Dunno, never used jMax.

> 
> > True, I could use C and implement what I need directly as a loadable
> > object, but I though that an interpreted language would be in general
> > nicer, and fast enough, for most purposes like this.
> 
> Be careful.  Lots of Pd computation has to happen in real time.  In
> general, extension languages with automatic deallocation need to use
> special garbage collection algorithms to execute in deterministic bounded
> time.  Your scheme extension may be "fast enough" for some purposes, but
> probably won't scale to large Pd projects unless it uses an incremental
> or other bounded-time garbage collection algorithm.
> 

Yes, the garbage collection problem, is, well, a problem. Haven't seen
any scheme or common lisp implementations with incremental GC.


> > ... (for now I won't deal with DSP signals) ...
> 
> I think you'll be sorry later unless you address this now.
> 

Well, my goal was really only to better implement things that use a lot
of logic, loops, and/or arrays of objects. Sort of like a better "expr"
object. Although, predictably, now that my scheme plug-in is working, my
goals are getting more ambitous.

Larry