I just saw the alternate loader patch and really like that idea. It would be handy to write externals in any script language too. Since IOhannes and I have also just written alternate loaders of sorts (HEX and libdir), it would be good to incorporate these two patches with yours and get it into the Pd-extended builds to try it out.
There isn't enough info for me to include your patch, to start with, a diff -uw (with context) would make for a more flexible patch. Also, I didn't see how to add new loader functions (I've never worked with pointers to functions in C).
You can see IO's and my patches in CVS in packages/patches. loaderHEX-0.39-1.patch and libdir-0.38-4.patch. Both apply smoothly to 0.38.4 and pd in CVS.
.hc
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"[W]e have invented the technology to eliminate scarcity, but we are deliberately throwing it away to benefit those who profit from scarcity." -John Gilmore