gcorne

Is there a particular reason that filepath will not work if the path is surrounded by quotation marks and it does not have a space in it? I am just bummed that I have to build a conditional to test whether or not the path contains a space before I enclose it with double quotes.

Is there a particular reason that filepath will not work if the path is surrounded by quotation marks and it does not have a space in it?  I am just bummed that I have to build a conditional to test whether or not the path contains a space before I enclose it with double quotes.  

filepath-and-quotation-marks

I think that I solved the problem. It had something to do with my use of quotes in sprintf.

I was using sprintf to add subfolders to the path, and I got greedy and had placed append in there as well. To compensate for the added append, I added quotes around the path. This worked fine except when the path did not have a space in it.

I think that I solved the problem.  It had something to do with my use of quotes in sprintf.  

I was using sprintf to add subfolders to the path, and I got greedy and had placed append in there as well.  To compensate for the added append, I added quotes around the path.  This worked fine except when the path did not have a space in it.

The problem is not limited to the filepath object. It's a general 

issue with symbols in Max. If quotation marks enclose a string of 

characters containing at least one blank, the quotation marks are 

interpreted as meta-characters delimiting the string (and overriding 

the blank as a delimiter). If there are no blanks between quotation 

marks, they are interpreted as literal characters, part of the string.

I have no idea why things were originally built this way, and I've 

never heard an explanation from either David or Miller about the 

logic behind the approach. It has confused untold thousands of Max 

users. But changing it now would cause even more confusion and chaos, 

Peter Castine | +--> Litter Power & Litter Bundle for Jitter

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The problem is not limited to the filepath object. It's a general  
issue with symbols in Max. If quotation marks enclose a string of  
characters containing at least one blank, the quotation marks are  
interpreted as meta-characters delimiting the string (and overriding  
the blank as a delimiter). If there are no blanks between quotation  
marks, they are interpreted as literal characters, part of the string.

I have no idea why things were originally built this way, and I've  
never heard an explanation from either David or Miller about the  
logic behind the approach. It has confused untold thousands of Max  
users. But changing it now would cause even more confusion and chaos,  
so best to get used to it.

--------------    http://www.bek.no/~pcastine/Litter/    -------------
Peter Castine    |        +--> Litter Power & Litter Bundle for Jitter
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p@castine.de     | iCE:  Sequencing, Recording, and Interface Building
pcastine@gmx.net |       for Max/MSP
pcastine@bek.no  | http://www.dspaudio.com/             Extremely cool
4-15@kagi.com    |....................................................
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The tosymbol object will add the double quotes if necessary.

Note that the documented "symout" argument to sprintf works now, as of 

Max 4.5.7, so the tosymbol object shouldn't be necessary.

Note that the documented "symout" argument to sprintf works now, as of 
Max 4.5.7, so the tosymbol object shouldn't be necessary.

> Is there a particular reason that filepath will not work if the path

> is surrounded by quotation marks and it does not have a space in it?

> I am just bummed that I have to build a conditional to test whether

> or not the path contains a space before I enclose it with double

If you consequently create the quotation marks with [tosymbol] it will 

Gregory Cornelius wrote:
> Is there a particular reason that filepath will not work if the path
> is surrounded by quotation marks and it does not have a space in it?
> I am just bummed that I have to build a conditional to test whether
> or not the path contains a space before I enclose it with double
> quotes.

If you consequently create the quotation marks with [tosymbol] it will 
take care of it.

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filepath and quotation marks