plustot

done features:

• Pd patch is a script
• external scripts are optional
• direct mapping from +tot objects to arbitrary, full-featured Tcl commands
• Tcl commands invoked by triggering +tot objects
• Pd connections used for passing Tcl command results (arbitrary Tcl objects)
• Tcl result coupled with an interpreter
• +tot object inlets implicitly convert floats, symbols, and lists to Tcl objects
• multiple inlets referenced by the pseudo-variable $in (scalar or array form)
• separate interpreter used in any window containg +tot +env object(s)
• interpreter of the parent window used in subwindows lacking a +tot +env
• default interpreter used, if there is no +tot +env up to the root window
• external scripts specified with +tot +env's arguments or the source message
• patch directory and Pd path used for locating external scripts
• dot-sequences used for special characters:  { } ; \ input as .( .) .: .`
• commands may be created and executed dynamically (messages tot and query)
• +tot's subclasses (with +-escaped first argument in place of a command name):
  • +tot +in converts Pd messages to Tcl objects
  • +tot +out converts Tcl objects back to Pd messages
  • +tot +print is another version of +tot puts $in or a +tot +out connected to a print
  • +tot +var combines the two forms of the Tcl command with tracing
  • +tot +env interpreter control and sourcing
  • +tot +qlist two-way interface to binbuf hosts (qlist, textfile, later xeq)

done performance-related details:

• command parsed during +tot object's creation, top-level args objectified
• sub-commands are bytecode-fiendly
• command procedure called explicitly
• attempt to minimize copying of Tcl_Objs (many further improvements possible)

soon:

• only default interpreter should run in the main thread

later:

• learn about a possibility of recoding plustot into a stubified Tcl extension
• customize +tot's object box shape
• use Tcl_SetPanicProc (try to survive set-shared attempts)
• +tot +xeq track-aware, using absolute time, etc.

consider:

• handling non-object commands (none in the core, however, as of 8.4.4)
• learning about tclpro bytecode utilities
• using resolver hooks for pseudo-variables (unless the bytecode route taken)