Loading unspecified files from directory (Pproto)

Questions
#1

Dear list,

is there a way to set a path to load files from a directory not by their names, just by their index?
trying to be able to load files from folders that have unspecified names in a Pproto setup ( i know its shortcomings but still need it;)).

e.g. when using \allocread:

~buffiles=[1,5,7].collect { |x| ( ( type: \allocRead, path:"…/folder/%.wav".format(x)).yield)}

this way it’ll presuppose the numbers in the names’ characters to find it. im rather looking to load the 1st, 5th, 7th file in the folder into buffers.

thanks,
jan

#2

~buffiles=[1,5,7].collect { |x| ( ( type: \allocRead, path:"…/folder/%.wav".format(x)).yield)}

this way it’ll presuppose the numbers in the names’ characters to find it. im rather looking to load the 1st, 5th, 7th file in the folder into buffers.

i can recommend .patchMatch.

here’s your example using it…

~buffiles=[1,5,7].collect { |x| ( ( type: \allocRead, path:"…/folder/*.wav".pathMatch[x]).yield)}

although this way it’s a bit inefficient (multiple calls to pathMatch). so perhaps like this instead…

(
var paths= "~/Documents/soundfiles/*.wav".pathMatch;  //edit path
~buffers.do{|b| b.free};  //make sure to free any previous buffers
~buffers= List.new;
[1, 5, 7].do{|i|  //select which files to load by index
	if(i<paths.size, {
		~buffers.add(Buffer.read(s, paths[i]));
	}, {
		"index % out of range".format(i).warn;
	});
};
)

~buffers.do{|b| b.postln}

now pathMatch is only called once and there’s also a check if you try to pick an index that’s larger than then number of found soundfiles.
_f

#|
fredrikolofsson.com musicalfieldsforever.com

#3

thank you fredrik, this works really well!