[PD] definitions of data types

[Martin Peach]

Hans-Christoph Steiner wrote:

>
> On Feb 6, 2006, at 2:05 PM, Martin Peach wrote:
>
>> Hans-Christoph Steiner wrote:
>>
>>> Here are some attempts at definitions:
>>>
>>> list:  a series of 2 or more elements whose first element is either  
>>> the  selector "list", or a float, which causes the "list" selector 
>>> to  be  implied.  A 0-element list is a bang, a 1-element list is 
>>> either  a  float or a symbol, are there any exceptions where a 0- 
>>> or  1-element  lists actually exists?  I suppose only in a message box.
>>>
>> ...
>>
>>> selector series: a series of 2 or more elements whose first element  
>>> is  neither the selector "list" nor a numeric element.  But it 
>>> needs  a  better term.
>>>
>> I would call that an implicit list, and to be consistent with the 
>> way  float works, it should have list prepended to it by pd and 
>> otherwise  become indistinguishable from list.
>
>
> But its not a list because objects that deal with lists say so.  
> "list"  is a keyword in Pd, so we need to define these things using 
> other  words.  Try this to see what I mean:
>
> [one 2 three four(
> |
> [route list]
>

Yes but to me
[1 two three four(
and
[one two three four(
are both lists and pd shouldn't treat them differently as it now does.

 From m_pd.h these are all the atom types:

typedef enum
{
    A_NULL,
    A_FLOAT,
    A_SYMBOL,
    A_POINTER,
    A_SEMI,
    A_COMMA,
    A_DEFFLOAT,
    A_DEFSYM,
    A_DOLLAR,
    A_DOLLSYM,
    A_GIMME,
    A_CANT
}  t_atomtype;

There is no list atom-type. A list is just a list of atoms. The 
existence of more than one atom in a message implies that it is a list.

Martin