willyc

I have two problems, hopefully encapsulated clearly in the pasted patch.

Firstly, how do I programmatically determine the pattr path (relative to the top level patcher) of an object in an embedded (b)patcher.

In the pasted patch, the two embedded bpatchers have pattr paths of mixer and mixer::channel.

From WITHIN the nested 'channel' bpatcher, how do I determine the pattr path to where I am? I have a feeling this is possible with javascript, but can't find what I need at the moment.

Secondly, when using [hover] in my top level patch, it will only report the name of the first bpatcher when I hover over it ("mixer"), and not any embedded named objects within it (which is logical).

If I embed further hover objects, and have them 'report upwards' the name of any 'hovered objects' I can in theory (combined with problem one above) get the pattr path of the currently 'hovered' object.

However, the order in which the 'embedded hovers' report means the outmost hover reports always reports last.

Has anyone else successfully battled 'hovering over multiple patcher levels'?

get-pattr-path-of-nested-objects-when-using-hover

I wonder if you can simply work with what you have, because all the indicators are there, they just override each other. Maybe a combination of some gates and using the third outlet of your [hover] objects (which give the name of the object you've just left) can do the trick, then you can route messages around as you want.

I managed to solve both problems using javascript - this thread (

https://cycling74.com/forums/retrieve-patcher-heirarchy-from-pattr)

 held the key to determining the full nested pattr path.

To get only one relevant path from the combined output of several hover objects, I am filtering out any hover output that refers to a named object that contains 'child named objects' (i.e. filtering out named patchers/bpatchers).

This javascript should be saved as getObjectFullPattrPath.js

var pattrName = arrayfromargs(messagename, arguments);

if (false === hasPattrChildren(pattrName)) {

var fullPattrPath = getPatcherFullPattrPath() + pattrName;

pattrPath = parentObject.varname + '::' + pattrPath;

var targetObject = patcher.getnamed(pattrName);

I managed to solve both problems using javascript - this thread (https://cycling74.com/forums/retrieve-patcher-heirarchy-from-pattr) held the key to determining the full nested pattr path.

function anything()
{
    var pattrName = arrayfromargs(messagename, arguments);
    pattrName = pattrName[0];
    if (false === hasPattrChildren(pattrName)) {
        var fullPattrPath = getPatcherFullPattrPath() + pattrName;
        outlet (0, fullPattrPath);
    }
}

function getPatcherFullPattrPath()
{
    var baseObject   = 0;
    var parentObject = this.patcher.box;
    var pattrPath    = '';
    while (parentObject) {
        pattrPath    = parentObject.varname + '::' + pattrPath;
        baseObject   = parentObject;
        parentObject = parentObject.patcher.box;
    }
    return '::top::' + pattrPath;
}

function hasPattrChildren(pattrName)
{
    var targetObject = patcher.getnamed(pattrName);
    if ((targetObject == null)
        || ('patcher' !== targetObject.maxclass)
    ) {
        return false;
    }
    return true;
}

Get pattr path of nested objects (when using hover)