Pure data text files are not human readable, this is a simple fact of their existence, while you can tell what an object is and where it is on the canvas (although subpatches make even this difficult), the objects and inlets/outlets for wires are numeric, and you have to add anything new at the end of the file to avoid them pointing to the wrong place.
I have come across this library for ruby https://github.com/nagachika/ruby-puredata/, which will remember objects by name and hopefully would be usable to make some pure data work in text. Although I've never gotten into it, so I don't know if it will be of any use.
> Date: Thu, 16 Aug 2012 20:58:07 +0100
> From: padawan12@obiwannabe.co.uk
> To: sam.raker@gmail.com
> CC: pd-list@iem.at
> Subject: Re: [PD] Textual pd primer
>
>
> I guess this is a case of working out best practices for development.
>
> Nobody actually develops Pd in text mode, but gettin things running in
> an embedded way involves a good deal less graphics and can be intimidating
> or confusing at first.
>
> If you don't want the RPi set up with mouse, kbd and monitor like a full
> system, it's rather like working on other embedded development systems,
> you need to see the board as a target host, and your local machine as the
> development (client).
>
> One way is to work on a laptop or desktop, and the ftp/scp them accross to the
> target board.
>
> But probably most useful is to use X windows to ssh
>
> ssh -Y -l user address.of.my.rpi
>
> and then just start Pd, which will seem to run on your main machine.
>
>
> I sense some kind of Raspberry Pi and Pd workshop in the coming
> weeks. maybe best developmnt practices and tips will be an
> outcme of that meeting.
>
> best,
> Andy
>
>
> On Thu, Aug 16, 2012 at 10:42:47AM -0400, Sam Raker wrote:
> > Hi guys,
> > Longtime listener, first time caller.
> > I was wondering if there's a good intro to text-only pd. I just got a raspberry pi, and I've heard a lot of chatter about how the -nogui flag solves a lot of weird dsp problems &c, plus it'd be nice not to have to waste a USB port plugging in a mouse as well as a keyboard/midi keyboard/sound card/m-audio box/etc. Plus my main comp is a mac, and I'm worried making my patches on my Mac and then getting them onto my pi will be a pain in the b.
> >
> > I've seen people say stuff like, "oh, just make a patch and look at it with a text editor and figure it out," but that's a bit over my head.
> >
> > Thoughts?
> >
> > -sam
> > _______________________________________________
> > Pd-list@iem.at mailing list
> > UNSUBSCRIBE and account-management -> http://lists.puredata.info/listinfo/pd-list
>
> _______________________________________________
> Pd-list@iem.at mailing list
> UNSUBSCRIBE and account-management -> http://lists.puredata.info/listinfo/pd-list