What? - Pd (Pure Data) is a professional, high- performance programming language for electronic sound processing. - Pd is a data flow programming language
Use? - as a prototyping language and a sound engine. The table interface called the Reactable and the iPhone app RjDj both embed Pd as a sound engine - prototyping audio for video games by a number of audio designers. (For example, EAPd is the internal version of Pd that is used at Electronic Arts (EA). It has also been embedded into EA Spore)
Patches - patches are developed graphically. Algorithmic functions are represented by objects, placed on a screen called canvas. - Objects are connected together with cords, and data flows from one object to another through this cords. - Each object performs a specific task, from very low level mathematic operations to complex audio or video functions.
Object Types - built-in Pd objects; Object, Message, Symbol, Number,... - abstractions, that is, reusable patches created in Pd itself; - externals, i.e. objects developed in another programming language.
Explore Under the Help menu in Pd-extended, open the Pd Help Browser..., click on the first item in the list, Manuals, then click on + Start Here. Open the first example patch, +start-here.pd, and follow the three steps listed there.....