[PD] style guide idea: [send foo] versus [; foo(

[Hans-Christoph Steiner]

On Mar 20, 2009, at 6:28 PM, Matt Barber wrote:

>>> Also note that some objects, e.g. [qlist], positively depend on the
>>> message sending style.  My students who wanted to use them have  
>>> often
>>> wondered why we hadn't covered the two ways of sending more in  
>>> depth.
>>
>> Can you explain with an example?  I don't understand why you must use
>> message boxes semi-colons for [qlist].  The [qlist] help patch  
>> doesn't  have
>> any message boxes with semi-colons, for example.
>>
>> .hc
>>
>
>
> Sure.  A [qlist] sends messages from a file (among other things).
> Those messages have the same form as messages sent from message boxes:
> send-receive_symbol list or whatever;
>
> The only difference is that the first message in a message box is sent
> from its outlet rather than to a receive -- the leading semicolon you
> see just means "send no message from outlet" which to me makes plenty
> of sense and is not difficult to read at all.
>
> For instance, this:
>
> |; init-1 6          /
> |; init-2 symbol foo |
> |; init-3 -2         \
>
>
> Really means:
> ____________
> ;
> init-1 6;
> init-2 symbol foo;
> init-3 -2
> ____________
>
> Doesn't it? (pardon my ascii)  And if you did this:
>
> ____________
> bang;
> init-1 6;
> init-2 symbol foo;
> init-3 -2
> ____________
>
> then it would send a bang from its inlet first.
>
>
> So in order to have my students understand [qlist] and its files, they
> have found it very useful to know about the message system in message
> boxes... it makes the message system in Pd on the whole a lot more
> understandable and less confusing, and it seems to be less confusing
> the earlier you introduce it to them.
>
> That's all I meant.
>
> Matt

Ah, ok, I get it, the text in the msg boxes is basically the same as  
the text in the qlist file.  That makes sense, and in the context of  
[qlist] I think it makes sense to teach about [; foo( sends.  But I  
don't think that [qlist] is an essential object, especially for  
newbies.  I am not saying to avoid it, I have covered it.  But  
personally, I almost never use it.  I find it easier to use [textfile]  
and write my own timing code.  You can be a pretty advanced Pd user  
and not have to use semi-colons in message boxes.

IMHO, semi-colons in messages boxes are no doubt useful, but they are  
not essential.  In the interests of spreading out the learning of the  
concepts in Pd into as many stages as possible, I think it makes sense  
to avoid using semi-colons in messages boxes except in contexts that  
they are indispensible.  So when learning about [qlist], for example,  
semi-colons in message boxes should definitely be covered.

Outside of those contexts, I think that overall, Pd users will be  
better served by avoiding their use.

.hc



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