[PD] Newbie: Dollar sign explanation needed

[Arif Driessen]

Hello all.

Since starting Uni this year I have gotten really into Pd! I'm still reading
up and learning the basics but have tried and tried to get my head around
the $ parameter (parameter?) but can't

Can someone break it down into a very basic explanation so I can take that
with me to the help files for further understanding.

As I see it, $ pretty much denotes storage of a variable, either float or
symbol, and works only locally. When added to an object it means: take
incoming value and store it under $1 (or $2 e.t.c) for recall later. If
there is a series of in incoming values $1 will always refer to the first
value and $2 to the second. Sometimes you don't want to recall it, but need
to tell the object to store a value in order to process it with the very
next action, such as in

OBJECT: openpanel > MESSAGE: read $1 destination > OBJECT: soundfiler

Am I right, somewhat right, or dangerously wrong?

And lastly I get this in the Pd window everytime it starts up (Pd extended
on Mac), is that heathly?:

libdir loader $Revision: 1.8 $
    written by Hans-Christoph Steiner <hans at at.or.at>
    compiled on Jul 29 2008 at 04:03:05
    compiled against Pd version 0.40.3.extended
/Applications/Pure
Data/Pd-extended.app/Contents/Resources/extra/Gem/Gem.pd_darwin:
dlopen(/Applications/Pure
Data/Pd-extended.app/Contents/Resources/extra/Gem/Gem.pd_darwin, 10):
Library not loaded: /usr/X11R6/lib/libfreetype.6.dylib
  Referenced from: /Applications/Pure
Data/Pd-extended.app/Contents/Resources/extra/Gem/Gem.pd_darwin
  Reason: image not found
Gem: can't load library
libdir_loader: added 'cyclone' to the global objectclass path
libdir_loader: added 'zexy' to the global objectclass path
libdir_loader: added 'creb' to the global objectclass path
libdir_loader: added 'cxc' to the global objectclass path
libdir_loader: added 'iemlib' to the global objectclass path
libdir_loader: added 'list-abs' to the global objectclass path
libdir_loader: added 'mapping' to the global objectclass path
libdir_loader: added 'markex' to the global objectclass path
libdir_loader: added 'maxlib' to the global objectclass path
libdir_loader: added 'memento' to the global objectclass path
libdir_loader: added 'mjlib' to the global objectclass path
libdir_loader: added 'motex' to the global objectclass path
libdir_loader: added 'oscx' to the global objectclass path
libdir_loader: added 'pddp' to the global objectclass path
libdir_loader: added 'pdogg' to the global objectclass path
libdir_loader: added 'pixeltango' to the global objectclass path
libdir_loader: added 'pmpd' to the global objectclass path
libdir_loader: added 'rradical' to the global objectclass path
libdir_loader: added 'sigpack' to the global objectclass path
libdir_loader: added 'smlib' to the global objectclass path
libdir_loader: added 'toxy' to the global objectclass path
libdir_loader: added 'unauthorized' to the global objectclass path
libdir_loader: added 'pan' to the global objectclass path
libdir_loader: added 'freeverb' to the global objectclass path
libdir_loader: added 'hcs' to the global objectclass path
libdir_loader: added 'jmmmp' to the global objectclass path
libdir_loader: added 'ext13' to the global objectclass path
libdir_loader: added 'ggee' to the global objectclass path
libdir_loader: added 'flib' to the global objectclass path
libdir_loader: added 'ekext' to the global objectclass path
libdir_loader: added 'flatspace' to the global objectclass path
/Applications/Pure
Data/Pd-extended.app/Contents/Resources/extra/pdp.pd_darwin:
dlopen(/Applications/Pure
Data/Pd-extended.app/Contents/Resources/extra/pdp.pd_darwin, 10): Library
not loaded: /usr/X11R6/lib/libX11.6.dylib
  Referenced from: /Applications/Pure
Data/Pd-extended.app/Contents/Resources/extra/pdp.pd_darwin
  Reason: image not found
pdp: can't load library
/Applications/Pure
Data/Pd-extended.app/Contents/Resources/extra/pidip.pd_darwin:
dlopen(/Applications/Pure
Data/Pd-extended.app/Contents/Resources/extra/pidip.pd_darwin, 10): Library
not loaded: /usr/X11R6/lib/libX11.6.dylib
  Referenced from: /Applications/Pure
Data/Pd-extended.app/Contents/Resources/extra/pidip.pd_darwin
  Reason: image not found
pidip: can't load library



///////////

Thanks so much everyone.
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