9.4: documentation for both objects, in Max's own system and the ReadMe

[tap]

Plan item 9.4 (docs/TAP-PYTHON-PLAN.md).

What's added

• ReadMe
  • A new section, Objects without audio: tap.python. It covers loading, the output table, outlets and the dumpout, messages and anything, and the threads and their limits.
  • The intro and the install steps now point to the Overview, the help files and the Documentation window.
• Reference pages
  • docs/tap.python.maxref.xml, written by hand because a plain SDK class has no generator.
  • See-also links both ways. tap.python~'s link comes from MIN_RELATED, and its page is Max's own rewrite.
• Documentation window (Package Docs › PythonTap):
  • a package topic, in docs/topics/;
  • the guide Writing Max Objects in Python, in docs/vignettes/;
  • three tutorials with their patchers, in docs/tutorials/pythontap-tut/: a gain per sample and per vector, a filter with prepare(), and an object without audio.
• Help patchers, in tabs
  • tap.python: basic, lists, outlets, messages, threads and ?.
  • tap.python~: basic, numpy, allpass, mc. and ?. Its old single page overlapped its own objects, so the basic tab was rebuilt.
• PythonTap Overview in extras/: listed in the Extras menu and set as the package's home patcher.
• scripts/check-docs.py, run in CI. It checks that the pages are well-formed XML with the right root element, that every link resolves, and that every patcher's patch cords connect real boxes and inlets.

A bug the docs found: mc.tap.python~ was "No such object"

• Cause: Max wraps an external in mc. through an init/ mapping; Max's own init/ maps mc.cycle~ this way. The package had no such mapping, so the ReadMe's "wrap the object in mc." didn't work.
• Fix: init/tap.python.txt now maps mc.tap.python~ to Max's MC wrapper around tap.python~. assemble-package.py fails a package that lacks the line.
• Test: a runtime test pins it: it fails 8 checks without the line and passes all 10 with it. It checks two instances, setvalue 2 gain 0.1 reaching one instance, applyvalues gain 0.5 0.25 giving each its own value, and setvalue 1 float 0.75 calling a method.
• Limit: a plain gain 0.5 sent to the wrapper is not understood. A class's attributes and messages belong to each instance, so the wrapper only forwards them through setvalue and applyvalues. The ReadMe and the help say so.

Checked in Max 9.1.5 on macOS

• Every page and patcher opened, and every help tab clicked through.
• Tutorial 3's patcher ran: the metro gave euclid's rhythm, a key gave note_name's C# and 4, and scale returned its list.
• The Documentation window lists the topic, the guide and the tutorials under Topics, Guides and Tutorials. This answers 9.0's open question.
• A tutorial's Open Tutorial button opens its patcher.
• The Overview is in the Extras menu.
• tap.python is listed as a reference page, not an object, because it has no file of its own. Max lists its own init-mapped objects (mc.abs~) the same way.
• Every runtime test passes.

Not done here

• Windows: these docs haven't been checked in Max on Windows yet. That happens at 9.6.
• Performance tables: the ReadMe's tables aren't regenerated (the machine wasn't idle). That also happens at 9.6, and adds the measured tap.python message sentence.

🤖 Generated with Claude Code

https://claude.ai/code/session_019rVV9SkjkWmiBXFMT4whkz