Hello,

I'm just starting to learn about data structures in PD and at this stage I'm not sure if I'm exploring the appropriate path for what I need. I'm looking for a way to display a sequence of symbols arranged in a grid (like a lead sheet of chord symbols) which I can then click on to select and edit (using traverse next/get/set/append etc). Using a data structure seemed ideal but append isn't cooperating with symbols. I've seen a couple of posts which have raised the same issue from 2004 and 2013 re append not accepting symbols but I wondered if there was a way around this 12 years later or if anyone could offer another suggestion.

Thanks in advance
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@tildebrow Unsure whether you are looking to put "words" ..... [drawsymbol].... not editable..... [drawtext].... working.
Or graphical symbols.
If the latter then have a look at ..... https://forum.pdpatchrepo.info/topic/10349/drawing-objects-simplified/2
Particulary object-draw-help.pd ...... 1478428764693-object-draw-updated.zip

Or the else library contains a tutorial for data structures.
David.

Thank you for your reply @whale-av. The graphical symbols have extended the scope of what I was looking for which was initially just text. Still struggling with the various components of data structures but many thanks for your help - certainly nudged me back on track.

@tildebrow Then you should get the else library and see.......\else\Live-Electronics-Tutorial\Part.12-Advanced.Pd\39-Data.Structures .... as that is an up-to-date tutorial.
All of the examples need [declare -path else] and that is missing from some. But I installed it long ago and that has probably been corrected.
David.

Ah! Thank you @whale-av!

Symbols can be used in data structures. However, you can't just feed [append] (or even plain [set]) with symbols. The workaround is to use the pointer of the created data structure to edit its symbols with a [set] to which you give the -symbol argument.

Thanks @kyro - yes I've found that what you said works. The else library help files referred by @whale-av sets out the steps very clearly and has solved my problem. The [set] help file in vanilla was causing a great deal of confusion because even though it works in the [symbol fish]>[set -symbol pointer s] example I was just getting set: empty pointer when I recreated the help file verbatim.