I'm trying to pass a float (between 1 and 45 or so) into an abstraction which then writes that float to a text file.

This is the abstraction, and I'm just passing it a single float, say an 8, 10, 12, whatever.

Whenever I do so, it's telling me that: $1: Argument number out of range.

I have no other dollar values in the entire patch, so there's no risk of it clashing or something.

Any idea what's going on here?

(And, I've tried it without the symbol message in there too, and it's still giving the exact same error).

first of all, if you want to write a float from the inlet to a textfile, you will need tell your [trigger] object to forward that float. at the moment your trigger object looks like [t b b b], that means, it only sends out bangs, no numeric values.
second point is, if you only want to save one float to a textfile, you don't need the combination of a [clear( message and a [add( message, you can use a [set( message instead. the sense of the [symbol( message i completely don't understand.

try it like this, should work, i guess:

[inlet] <- incoming float
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[trigger bang float] <- first send the float, then a bang
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[write save.txt( [set $1( <- first set float, then write to file
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[textfile]

Okay, right, umm, I'm not passing a float to the inlet, I'm passing a bang to the inlet, but I'm passing the float to the abstraction, as $1, i.e. the process is called save, i'm making an object [save 8].

The exact same problem occurs with set $1, the problem seems to be putting a $1 in a message box, as if I do print $1 in a message box and click it, it gives the same error, but if I do print $1 in an object box and bang it, it prints the value correctly.

ahh, ok - you should read the manual about dollarsigns in messages. they do differ from the dollarsigns in objectboxes. while e.g. [set $1( in a messagebox always needs an inlet value as reference, a [$1] object in an abstrction refers to it's first creation argument. (i hope i used the right words, my english is poor, sry...)

earful, message boxes only have their variables replaced when it is explicitly sent to them; they ignore creation arguments. So this is how you work around it:

[bng]
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[f $1] <-- replaced with argument
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[set $1( <-- not replaced with argument

toxonic, your English is fine. If you want to know what poor English is like, come visit America.

@Maelstorm said:

toxonic, your English is fine. If you want to know what poor English is like, come visit America.

hahaha.....

Okay, I'm back with the loading back from a file setup now. This one's doing absolutely nothing when I bang the inlet. No messages in the console, nothing. What am I doing wrong here?

remember that the trigger object processes from right to left, that means the right outlet will be the first that sends a bang, the left outlet send it's bang at last. then think about the order, the single tasks should be processed:

1. load a textfile into the [textfile] object via a [read....( message
2. [rewind( to the beginnig of the file
3. output a line as a list via bang
if you now look at your structure, you will see, that you process in the wrong order.

btw, you don't need the [bang( message, since the [trigger] object only sends out bangs in this case.
also, think about, with wich object you will output the textfile, maybe you will have to convert it. for test purposes, replace the [outlet] with the [print] object, and watch your pd main window.

Okay, I've switched the rewind and reads around, and replace outlet with print, and.. still nothing at all going on in the pd main window

is the "mummy.txt" in the same folder as the patch? if this an abstraction, the textfile hast to be in the folder where the abstraction is saved to. prove that the textfile contains a content.
check out the attached patch, works fine there....

http://www.pdpatchrepo.info/hurleur/textfile.zip

Yup, and I've got it working now, thanks

Unfortunately, looks like RjDj, the iPhone app I'm coding PD for, doesn't like saving text files

just a note to save time in future, you can do multiple messages in one box.

so this process:

>>1. load a textfile into the [textfile] object via a [read....( message
2. [rewind( to the beginnig of the file
3. output a line as a list via bang<<

would look like this:

[read /path/blahblah.txt, rewind, bang(
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[textfile]