Axel BALLEY

I'm programming an external that would allow to save an XML interface 

for a Lemur inside the containing patcher. I implemented the save 

method for the object, but I'm now in front of an issue : it seems 

it's impossible to generate a symbol larger than 2000 bytes. That 

means that if I use gensym on a file larger than 2k, I get a 

Hi list,
I'm programming an external that would allow to save an XML interface  
for a Lemur inside the containing patcher. I implemented the save  
method for the object, but I'm now in front of an issue : it seems  
it's impossible to generate a symbol larger than 2000 bytes. That  
means that if I use gensym on a file larger than 2k, I get a  
truncated XML file in my saved patcher.

t_symbol-size-limit

I would recommend you serialize the xml file into multiple symbols, 

or write the raw bytes as a sequence of integer atoms as does comment 

in "two-byte compatibility mode". A little more work, but shouldn't 

I would recommend you serialize the xml file into multiple symbols,  
or write the raw bytes as a sequence of integer atoms as does comment  
in "two-byte compatibility mode". A little more work, but shouldn't  
be that tough to implement.

are you sure you can't solve this by using a list of symbols?

Don't forget that large unique symbols fill up memory since they never 

Hi Axel,
are you sure you can't solve this by using a list of symbols?
Don't forget that large unique symbols fill up memory since they never 
go away as long as Max is running.

Thanks for your answers, Thomas and Joshua

I'll try going in those directions, though I'm still a newbie at this 

(I coded my first Max external about 4 days ago)

Thanks for your answers, Thomas and Joshua
I'll try going in those directions, though I'm still a newbie at this  
(I coded my first Max external about 4 days ago)

On around Feb 16, 2006, at 23:56, Axel Balley said something like:

> I'll try going in those directions, though I'm still a newbie at this 

> (I coded my first Max external about 4 days ago)

In that case, may I add the following, some stuff I learnt from writing 

my I Ching objects, which also had many kB of text...

The SDK docs leave the impression that lists cannot begin with a 

symbol. This is not strictly true. It is perfectly possible to write 

    SETSYM(textlist, gensym("foo"));        // Handy macro, cf. ext_mess.h

    SETSYM(textlist+1, gensym("baz"));

    SETSYM(textlist+2, gensym("bark"));

    outlet_list(myOutlet, NIL, 3, textlist);

(2nd param to outlet_list() can also be gensym("list"), but NIL will do 

fine; the example can be extended to more items).

1) Most Max objects will convert your list [foo baz bark] into a foo 

message with the parameters baz and bark. These are two different 

animals. For this reason, you might be better off to follow the model 

of the textedit object, which sends out "text" messages with the text 

followed by a stream of symbol parameters. The code would be identical 

to above, just the outlet_list() call would be an outlet_anything() 

    outlet_anything(myOutlet, gensym("text"), 3, textlist);

Stash the value of gensym("text") in a static variable if you're going 

2) Most Max objects will either croak or truncate your argument list if 

it contains more than 255 elements. You will probably need to subdivide 

your XML file into multiple messages rather then send the entire file 

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On around Feb 16, 2006, at 23:56, Axel Balley said something like:
> I'll try going in those directions, though I'm still a newbie at this 
> (I coded my first Max external about 4 days ago)

In that case, may I add the following, some stuff I learnt from writing 
my I Ching objects, which also had many kB of text...

The SDK docs leave the impression that lists cannot begin with a 
symbol. This is not strictly true. It is perfectly possible to write 
something like

	SETSYM(textlist, gensym("foo"));		// Handy macro, cf. ext_mess.h
	SETSYM(textlist+1, gensym("baz"));
	SETSYM(textlist+2, gensym("bark"));

	outlet_list(myOutlet, NIL, 3, textlist);

(2nd param to outlet_list() can also be gensym("list"), but NIL will do 
fine; the example can be extended to more items).

1) Most Max objects will convert your list [foo baz bark] into a foo 
message with the parameters baz and bark. These are two different 
animals. For this reason, you might be better off to follow the model 
of the textedit object, which sends out "text" messages with the text 
followed by a stream of symbol parameters. The code would be identical 
to above, just the outlet_list() call would be an outlet_anything() 
call:

	outlet_anything(myOutlet, gensym("text"), 3, textlist);

Stash the value of gensym("text") in a static variable if you're going 
to use it a lot (which seems likely).

2) Most Max objects will either croak or truncate your argument list if 
it contains more than 255 elements. You will probably need to subdivide 
your XML file into multiple messages rather then send the entire file 
out as a single message.

On around Feb 17, 2006, at 10:31, Peter Castine said something like:

> better off to follow the model of the textedit object, which sends out 

> "text" messages with the text followed by a stream of symbol 

...the model of the textedit object, which sends out "text" messages, 

each followed by a stream of symbol parameters representing the actual 

text. So for an XML file containing the fragment "fourscore and seven 

years ago our fathers brought forth upon this continent" you might 

    text fourscore and seven years ago our fathers

    text brought forth upon this continent a new nation

    text conceived in liberty and dedicated to the proposition

Hope that's clearer (even if "conceived in liberty" sounds like the 

title of a movie about someone born out of wedlock),

On around Feb 17, 2006, at 10:31, Peter Castine said something like:
> better off to follow the model of the textedit object, which sends out 
> "text" messages with the text followed by a stream of symbol 
> parameters.

...the model of the textedit object, which sends out "text" messages, 
each followed by a stream of symbol parameters representing the actual 
text. So for an XML file containing the fragment "fourscore and seven 
years ago our fathers brought forth upon this continent" you might 
generate the messages

	text  fourscore and seven years ago our fathers
	text  brought forth upon this continent a new nation
	text  conceived in liberty and dedicated to the proposition

Hope that's clearer (even if "conceived in liberty" sounds like the 
title of a movie about someone born out of wedlock),
P.

Thanks for your help, the symbols stream thing is exactly what I was 

Thanks for your help, the symbols stream thing is exactly what I was  
after.
I'll let you know if things work out !

t_symbol size limit