Roald Baudoux

It would be nice if JavaScript was better handled in the documentation search engine and possibly in the documentation itself.

For instance, I wanted to find the methods related to buffers as JavaScript objects. I performed a search with the query "javascript buffer". I got a lot of results about buffer~ or javascript but nothing specific about how buffers are handled in JavaScript. Finally I went back to the js tab in buffer~ maxhelp file and opened the example. I still don't know where to get a thorough reference for JavaScript objects specific to Max and as complete and easy to access as the one which exists for regular Max objects.

Hello,

It would be nice if JavaScript was better handled in the documentation search engine and possibly in the documentation itself.

For instance, I wanted to find the methods related to buffers as JavaScript objects. I performed a search with the query  "javascript buffer". I got a lot of results about buffer~ or javascript but nothing specific about how buffers are handled in JavaScript. Finally I went back to the js tab in buffer~ maxhelp file and opened the example. I still don't know where to get a thorough reference for JavaScript objects specific to Max  and as complete and easy to access as the one which exists for regular Max objects.


Hello,

It would be nice if JavaScript was better handled in the documentation search engine and possibly in the documentation itself.

For 

«feature-request»-better-inclusion-of-javascript-in-documentation-search-engine

This might help anyone seeking a reference for JS objects:

https://docs.cycling74.com/max7/vignettes/javascriptinmax

This might help anyone seeking a reference for JS objects:
https://docs.cycling74.com/max7/vignettes/javascriptinmax

result: a ton of posts WITHOUT senbox in it.

if you search only sendbox you will get more results... with javascript also in the post or in the javascript section...

1. it's impossible to search by forum section

2. top results does not give priority to posts containing the 2 keywords, but only the first

>>> nightmare searchhhhhhhh going through hundreds of posts

yeah and searching the forum too...
for example:
search:  javascript sendbox
result: a ton of posts WITHOUT senbox in it.
if you search only sendbox you will get more results... with javascript also in the post or in the javascript section...

1. it's impossible to search by forum section
2. top results does not give priority to posts containing the 2 keywords, but only the first
>>> nightmare searchhhhhhhh going through hundreds of posts


Javascript became the de facto scripting language to manage max, jitter and GL objects.

I used Java before but its not actualised, and some methods are missing.

The problem is that some method of jit.objects are obscure and does not appear anywhere, and they are the only way to make those objects work

https://cycling74.com/forums/jit-movie-texture_output-1-in-javascript

I know that Rob is doing a lot of GREAT hard work, 

but a section of javascript reference should be dedicated to all those obscure methods for using jitter objects...

Javascript became the de facto scripting language to manage max,  jitter and GL objects.
I used Java before but its not actualised, and some methods are missing.

The problem is that some method of jit.objects are obscure and does not appear anywhere, and they are the only way to make those objects work
example: https://cycling74.com/forums/jit-movie-texture_output-1-in-javascript

I know that Rob is doing a lot of GREAT hard work, 
but a section of javascript reference should be dedicated to all those obscure methods for using jitter objects...


Just as a thought, i would have found it very helpful if there had been a simple four-line example of how to get a object's value, like for example a [flonum], and how to set it to a value and send it a 'set' message, both in the same patch and a subpatch. A really good addition to that would be a concise list of exceptions where a different API applies (such as objects with global names like [send], [receive], and '[bpather], perhaps with examples for them too. It takes plumbing through dozens of topics to figure that out from the current help., and there are no examples at all of it.

Just as a thought, i would have found it very helpful if there had been a simple four-line example of how to get a object's value,  like for example a [flonum],  and how to set it to a value and send it a 'set' message, both in the same patch and a subpatch.  A really good addition to that would be a concise list of exceptions where a different API applies (such as objects with global names like [send], [receive], and '[bpather], perhaps with examples for them too. It takes plumbing through dozens of topics to figure that out from the current help., and there are no examples at all of it. 

Perhaps someone should wrote a "Javascript IN Max" book...

or create a repository where we could put some examples.

Perhaps someone should wrote a "Javascript IN Max" book...
or create a repository where we could put some examples.


By the way, I'd like JS to implement a method to get the current audio sampling rate in order to apply sr-wise operations on buffers.

That doesn't work very well Roald, because then the js can't detect changes in the sample rate., It is better to pass it in as a message and perform operations based on the called method.

That's what I do actually but as JS can access buffers I don't see any reason why it couldn't detect the current sampling rate.

you mean the sampling rate value that the info~ object can output?

that's the sr of the sampled data inside the buffer, not necessarily the current sr of the audio system. 

But still I agree, exactly this value would be a good thing to have access to in js.

you mean the sampling rate value that the info~ object can output?
that's the sr of the sampled data inside the buffer, not necessarily the current sr of the audio system. 
But still I agree, exactly this value would be a good thing to have access to in js.



I'm also struggling finding JS documentation on things like jsbuffer. There doesn't seem to be a complete resource that includes much beyond the most basic functionality.

I'm also struggling finding JS documentation on things like jsbuffer.  There doesn't seem to be a complete resource that includes much beyond the most basic functionality.

+1 I'm also finding it difficult to find documentation for the js api. In Max 8, for example, searching for 'jsbuffer' in help section provides 0 results. Furthermore, the 'Help' and 'Extra Help' menu items are inexplicably grayed out.

Being used to very high quality open-source languages documentation, I'm surprised that the javascript api, was advertised as as a feature of (Version 7?) in a commercial product and is lacking sufficient offline documentation by (Version 8).

+1 I'm also finding it difficult to find documentation for the js api. In Max 8, for example, searching for 'jsbuffer' in  help section provides 0 results. Furthermore, the 'Help' and 'Extra Help' menu items are inexplicably grayed out.

Being used to very high quality open-source languages documentation, I'm surprised that the javascript api, was advertised as as a feature of (Version 7?) in a commercial product and is lacking  sufficient offline documentation by (Version 8).

[feature request] Better inclusion of JavaScript in documentation search engine