[PD] what is a list? (symbols vs. floats)

[Hans-Christoph Steiner]

There are a number of datatype inconsistencies that drive me nuts in Pd 
and I am wondering what the rhyme or reason is, or whether they are 
just bugs.  I have tried to start documenting them as I come along 
them.  Here's a start:

When is a list a list?  According to [route]:

[list 1 2 3( is a list
[1 2 3( is a list
[list one two three( is a list
[one two three( is NOT a list
[one 2 3( is NOT a list
[1 two three( is a list

Ok, I can see that anything that starts with a float is automatically 
deemed a list, while anything that starts with a symbol is 
automatically deemed not a list unless cast as such.  This is confusing 
and I don't see the benefit.

.hc


#N canvas 704 57 539 385 10;
#X msg 126 63 1 2 3;
#X obj 149 202 route list;
#X obj 149 223 print list;
#X obj 224 223 print NOTlist;
#X msg 118 43 list 1 2 3;
#X msg 145 88 list one two three;
#X msg 152 107 one two three;
#X msg 167 130 1 two three;
#X msg 174 160 one 2 3;
#X connect 0 0 1 0;
#X connect 1 0 2 0;
#X connect 1 1 3 0;
#X connect 4 0 1 0;
#X connect 5 0 1 0;
#X connect 6 0 1 0;
#X connect 7 0 1 0;
#X connect 8 0 1 0;