[PD] C++ for reusable dsp lib - or better use C?

[Mathieu Bouchard]

Le 2012-02-22 à 19:25:00, august a écrit :

> The GObject method is pretty clever.  It allows you to abstract objects 
> in an XML format.  Then, based on those abstractions, you can introspect 
> them for their behaviour and link them into almost any language.
>
> I wonder how difficult it would be to do something like that with PD's object
> system?

You can already inspect several aspects of Pd objects and classes, at 
runtime, without having to read any XML at all. However, this info is not 
especially complete : in particular, classes don't contain lists of 
methods for non-first inlets, and there is no class-table, only a 
constructor-table, so you need an object to be instantiated before you can 
access a class. Also, method signatures are often limited to A_GIMME for 
lack of ability to say it differently.

That's except for pd classes that go through GridFlow's C++ interface. In 
that case, there's a central class-table, from which you can find all 
method-names for all inlets. Method signatures (argument types) are not 
available but this feature could be added to the system without modifying 
any class. Each class also has a list of attributes, which gives you at 
least type info for *some* of the methods.

There are some other exceptions like that as well, having to do with 
various bridges between one language and Pd.

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| Mathieu BOUCHARD ----- téléphone : +1.514.383.3801 ----- Montréal, QC