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Re: local variables

• To: mathgroup at yoda.physics.unc.edu
• Subject: Re: local variables
• From: TODD GAYLEY <TGAYLEY at ccit.arizona.edu>
• Date: 29 Sep 1992 22:44:12 -0700 (MST)

John Pender (tuk at natazhat.uafphys.alaska.edu) asks:
 
>  hi guys-
>  i'm forwarding an inquiry from one of my students.  in particular, is there
>  an mma function that returns a list of all the variables you've defined in a
>  session and their values?  thanks in advance.
 
The function Names["Global`*"] will return a list of the names (as strings) of
all variables defined in the Global` context. From there, you can do what you
want. For example, for a primitive printout of variables and values, you could
use:
 
Print[# <> " = " <> ToString[ToExpression[#]]]& /@ Names["Global`*"];
 
This won't show the definitions of functions, however. For example, if you have
defined f[x_] := something, then the printout will include the line
 
f = f
 
because the symbol f, all by itself, has not been given a value. An alternative
is to use
 
(Print[#]; Information[#]; Print["\n"])& /@ Names["Global`*"];
 
This will show more about each symbol, including defs for functions, but it is
much slower.
 
--Todd
 
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Todd Gayley
Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
University of Arizona
tgayley at ccit.arizona.edu       -or-        tgayley at cs.arizona.edu