If I put "symbol -$1" in a message box into the irght inlet of {symbol} object, get : -0 in the console
If i put it directly into [symbol] , I get : -$1 in the console , it adds an escape backlash character

Also , $0 in symbol just gives symbol , $0- gives us the unique id

This is because symbol can't handle numbers, it requires strings.
By adding a string (- in your case) before or after $0 it turns it into a string.

Try using [f $0] instead:

Thanks
I already knew how to get the $0 into messages by using [float ] , and [symbol] for getting it into text-get etc..
Was just wondering of it's behaviour when "- 'was nvolved

@gentleclockdivider said:

$0- gives us the unique id

yup, '$0' gets expanded. If you don't want it to expand, if you want is as a symbol, you need to escape it with a backslash - but no one really wants that... right? And, well, this is explained in the help file of messages. The backsash in print is added by the object to tell you that you created a symbol with '$' that is literal, not something you'll be able to use to expand.

I don't see what you're asking. This is common and basic behaviour of dollsyms in objects and messages. They get expanded in messages to incoming values... so, if you don't have an incoming value and click on it... anyway... I really don't understand the question or problem, let alone what you are trying to do.

@gentleclockdivider Realized I completely missed your point. This behavior is the same as it is with messages.

My guess is that the logic is that it will cause an error in the log window instead of possibly difficult to find problems. Imagine if you had a bunch of [text]s or [value]s or [send]s or what ever all with a common basename and one with just the basename, [v i], [v i1], [v i2] etc and were passing those names to abstractions through a float in their arguments with a [symbol i$1] in the abstraction, passing the escaped dollar argument means you get an error instead of accidentally setting the wrong [v] since it is very unlikely anyone would have an escaped dollar argument in the name of their [v] or what ever. If the symbol just combined with the empty symbol to create [symbol i] things would seem to work or might do something bad depending what your [v]s are used for and you will have no error message to control click on to find the problem, all you would know is that it did not work correctly.