[PD] [psql] object hand-holding

[Jamie Bullock]

Hi Hans,

I like this idea of a hot and cold inlet, and I can see where you are
going with making the database access objects more pd-like. I also agree
that the sql/sqlend delimiters are a rather inelegant workaround for
Pd's lack of a string type. What you suggest shouldn't be too hard to
implement either.

I have a few specific comments (see below).

On Fri, 2007-12-07 at 21:37 -0500, Hans-Christoph Steiner wrote: 
> That is done by sending the [submit( message to the hot inlet.  Or do
> you mean having multiple SQL calls separated by semi-colons?  If you
> wanted to add semicolons, there would have to be a special message, I
> think we could just reuse the "addsemi", "addcomma", "adddollar"
> messages from message boxes.  

This feels like another workaround, but I suppose it's more idiomatic pd
than 'sqlend'. 

> 
> As far as I know, the semi-colon at the end of the statement in SQL
> triggers the execution of that statement, so I can't see an advantage
> to having multiple, semi-colon terminated statements in a single
> message box.  Does it change how the SQL is executed if they are
> submitted at the same time?

No.

> > 
> > The other thing I think that would have to be is forcing all input
> > SQL to go into the second inlet. Allowing some things to go into the
> > hot inlet, while others are required to go into the second outlet
> > would make it difficult to use because you would have to remember
> > which type of statement can go where... 
> 
> 
> Any SQL statement would be allowed on the cold inlet.  Because of the
> limitations of Pd (no escape mechanism), and the fact that commas
> already have a meaning in Pd messages, the hot inlet would not be able
> to handle commas (unless someone comes up with something quite
> clever).  

I think we should either come up with something quite clever (using
regex springs to mind), or not allow queries to be submitted to the hot
inlet at all. Having a hot inlet that doesn't quite handle queries in
the same way as the cold inlet is just confusing.

Another suggestion: perhaps it would be even more idiomatic to use
"bang" instead of "submit" as the 'quert send' message?

Jamie

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