Shakeeb Alireza

I have two scenarios for saved attributes for my external:

1. The object is explicitly defined with attributes:

2. The object is not explicitly defined with attributes, but these get set via messages or directly via the the inspector.

In either case, the object's attribute is always specified to be saved with the 

I have no issue with case (1): on reload, I am able to test for the values and access the struct members without issue.

My problem occurs in case (2), when I have a saved object and I reload and then programmatically check for the attributes saved value in the 

 method as below: I get the same value as my initializers (

) but I don't get the 'saved' value. However, when I check the inspector, the saved values are displayed and available.

void* obj_new(t_symbol* s, long argc, t_atom* argv)
{
    t_obj* x = NULL;

       x->o_autoload = 0;
        x->o_file = gensym("");

    post("checking autoload / file");
    post("autoload: %d / code_filepath: %s", x->o_autoload, 
                                             x->o_file->s_name);
    post("file: %s", object_attr_getsym(x, gensym("file"))->s_name);

I would very much appreciate some help to figure out this mystery. Thanks in advance for any advice or pointers,

In either case, the object's attribute is always specified to be saved with the CLASS_ATTR_SAVE macro.

I have no issue with  case (1): on reload, I am able to test for the values and access the struct members without issue.

My problem occurs in case (2), when I have a saved object and I reload and then programmatically check for the attributes saved value in the obj_new method as below: I get the same value as my initializers (0 or NULL) but I don't get the 'saved' value. However, when I check the inspector, the saved values are displayed and available.

   	x->o_autoload = 0;
        x->o_file = gensym("");

Hey Folks,
I have two scenarios for saved attributes for my external:
1. The object is explicitly defined with attributes:
	[obj @file hello

getting-the-value-of-saved-attributes

this is not a mystery, however I can see how it may be confusing...

The CLASS_ATTR_SAVE macro is only functional for GUI objects, and that means objects with a t_jbox field as their first struct member.

For regular Max objects (objects with a t_object field as their first struct member) the CLASS_ATTR_SAVE macro is basically useless. In this case the only attributes you can save are the ones you directly type into the object box.

It makes total sense that C74 implemented this behavior. Unless the user types attribute values directly in the object box overriding the default values, it is understood that he/she is perfectly happy with the default values that get assigned to them.

However, it seems to me that in your specific scenario you would like to have attributes saved with your object that you don't necessarily have to type into the object box.

These are the steps to accomplish the above for regular Max objects:

1) implement the "appendtodictionary" method that gets called when the user saves the patch.

Append the value of the attributes of interest to the dictionary passed as argument.

2) implement a small routine in the new method to extract the saved attribute values from the dictionary upon object instantiation.

class_addmethod(c, (method)myobj_appendtodictionary, "appendtodictionary", A_CANT, 0);

void myobj_appendtodictionary(t_myobj *x, t_dictionary *dict)

dictionary_appendsym(dict, gensym("file"), x->o_file);

dictionary_appendlong(dict, gensym("autoload"), x->o_autoload);

t_dictionary *dict = (t_dictionary *)gensym("#D")->s_thing;

dictionary_getsym(dict, gensym("file"), &x->o_file);

dictionary_getlong(dict, gensym("autoload"), &x->o_autoload);

I coded it off the top of my head without any testing, so there may be inaccuracies, but it should be enough for you to get the idea.

Hi Shakeeb,
this is not a mystery, however I can see how it may be confusing... 

The CLASS_ATTR_SAVE macro is only functional for GUI objects, and that means objects with a t_jbox field as their first struct member.
For regular Max objects (objects with a t_object field as their first struct member) the CLASS_ATTR_SAVE macro is basically useless. In this case the only attributes you can save are the ones you directly type into the object box.
It makes total sense that C74 implemented this behavior. Unless the user types attribute values directly in the object box overriding the default values, it is understood that he/she is perfectly happy with the default values that get assigned to them.

However, it seems to me that in your specific scenario you would like to have attributes saved with your object that you don't necessarily have to type into the object box.

These are the steps to accomplish the above for regular Max objects:

1) implement the "appendtodictionary" method that gets called when the user saves the patch.
Append the value of the attributes of interest to the dictionary passed as argument.

2) implement a small routine in the new method to extract the saved attribute values from the dictionary upon object instantiation.

Some code is worth a thousand words:

in the class definition:
class_addmethod(c, (method)myobj_appendtodictionary,  "appendtodictionary",  A_CANT, 0);

in the class implementation:
void myobj_appendtodictionary(t_myobj *x, t_dictionary *dict)
{
    if (dict) {
        dictionary_appendsym(dict, gensym("file"), x->o_file);
        dictionary_appendlong(dict, gensym("autoload"), x->o_autoload);
    }
}

in the new method:
{
// ...
    t_dictionary *dict = (t_dictionary *)gensym("#D")->s_thing;
    if (dict) {
        dictionary_getsym(dict, gensym("file"), &x->o_file);
        dictionary_getlong(dict, gensym("autoload"), &x->o_autoload);
    }
// ...
}

Thanks so much for your help and clarification, and for providing great tips and code! It's really good to know that CLASS_ATTR_SAVE is really for GUI objects.

It actually makes things simpler and everything is more direct and explicit.

You must forgive me for the confusion, I am still learning my way around the Max API and it is my first max external after all, which I will share soonish (-:

Thanks for being super-helpful! (I would buy you a beer (or whatever you like to drink) if I could right now, well maybe sometime :-)

Thanks so much for your help and clarification, and for providing great tips and code! It's really good to know that CLASS_ATTR_SAVE is really for GUI objects. 

You must forgive me for the confusion, I am still learning my way around the Max API and it is my first max external after all, which I will share soonish  (-:

Thanks for being super-helpful! (I would buy you a beer (or whatever you like to drink) if I could right now, well maybe sometime  :-)

 code worked flawlessly on the first attempt! Ok that was impressive (-:

Just wanted you to know that your appendtodictionary  code worked flawlessly on the first attempt! Ok that was impressive (-:

If we ever meet each other one day, I will remember about the beer... :-)

Great, I am glad to be of help...
If we ever meet each other one day, I will remember about the beer...  :-)

Getting the value of saved attributes