I looked for a subpatch that would work but have not found one yet.

So, is there a standard subpatch that sets a string of characters to an array after hitting return?

Still learning the proper language to use around here. Sorry for my lack ahead of time from improper syntax.

Essentially, I can use a single keystroke to enter a value into a number box. However, what if I want to allow for the user to insert a value in the 10s, 100s, 1000s, or so forth. I could make the subpatch, but I just have to believe there is one already created.

@cpenny42 Your input_text_advanced.pd is fantastic! Such a clever idea

Thanks for sharing and take care,
Gilberto

So, next question:

Here is what I want to do:

Be able to create text that will pop up on canvases. This text may be a bit lengthy and I would want it to be on multiple lines. However, as I understand it, a canvas can ONLY have ONE line of text.

So, if I want, say 80 characters per line, but have words NOT split between lines. Is there a patch that makes this work with a list of words? And separate them onto different lines of text, I am guessing they would have to be on different canvases.

So, if I have the line.

I am going to the store and at the store I will buy milk, eggs, and cheese.

Let's say I need the "cheese" to go on the second line of text.

So,
canvas one would have: "I am going to the store and at the store I will buy milk, eggs, and"

canvas two would have: "cheese."

The first canvas would be set higher in the window from the second line of text. Now, a different thing to ask/say. . . . Is there a different system people use to do this type of thing? Where large amounts of text are placed on canvases in PD? Or do they use GEM? Help

William

You can convert the multi-line symbol to a list using [s2l] and count the number of characters using [list count]. Then use [moses] to direct the text onto different canvases. It won't be pretty, though.

I typed into a patch [list count]. It does not seem to be a patch. I tried it as one word as well [listcount].

Am I doing something wrong?

[list length], sorry.

Once you have counted your characters, as Liam suggests, you might be able to use ; (semi-colon) to go to the next line.. or semi-colon+return... it's an interesting project.. good luck!

Thanks. Got it working. Another potential issue. integers are not recognized as symbols. Right? So, for instance:

if I have the symbol a1b2c3.

That would be six characters. However, when I separate it out to a list of a, 1, b, 2, c, 3. Unpack does not totally work. . . . Well, it kind of works. I guess the main issue is, a number are recognized as float after it is separated out from the surrounding letters. Is there a way to make integers just characters?

Thanks so much for the help!

Ach. . . ., also it seems that a comma is not recognized as a character when using [symbol2list].

Anyway around that as well?

I've never found a way to get commas recognized as text in PD. This is a major limitation.

As to your first point, [unpack] is actually quite a clumsy way of dealing with lists. It can't cope with varying message types, as you identified, and it's also no good with lists of differing sizes. There are two objects which I find much more effective:

• [list-drip], which slices the list into floats and symbols

• [zl nth], which isolates the nth term of a list

[list-drip] lets you do things like this: