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Pseudo-random numbers appear random

Programming languages all provide some means of generating random numbers. Those numbers aren’t truly random, though. They’re what’s called pseudo-random. They’re actually generated by a known, deterministic process for generating a sequence of numbers, but that process generates a long series of apparently random numbers that doesn’t repeat for a very long time.

Using gate to route messages

You can assign input data to have a different function at different times, simply by sending it to different parts of your program. For example, if you have a control device such as a MIDI keyboard or other MIDI controller with a limited number of keys, buttons, knobs, or faders, you can assign one control element to be the mode selector that changes the functionality of all the other elements.

Other basic functionality of the transport object

This patch does some of the same things as the "GlobalTransport" patch in the Extras menu, and shows what is likely going on behind the scenes in that patch. The toggle labeled "Start/Stop" starts the transport and immediately turns on the metro to begin triggering time reports. The button labeled "Rewind" sends a time position of bar 1, beat 1, 0 ticks to the transport to reset its time.

Using key presses and releases

Using both the key and keyup objects, you can tell when a key was pressed and when it was released. The split object allows you to isolate a range of numbers; it passes only the specified range of numbers out its left outlet, and passes all other numbers out its right outlet. The numbered keys 0 to 9 correspond to ASCII codes 48 to 57, so it's easy to isolate those keys, and subtracting 48 brings those numbers down into the range 0 to 9.