Options to Power Expand
- To: mathgroup at christensen.cybernetics.net
- Subject: [mg863] Options to Power Expand
- From: Jack Goldberg <jackgold at math.lsa.umich.edu>
- Date: Thu, 27 Apr 1995 01:35:31 -0400
A week or so ago I posted a question about the desirability of adding your own option to a built-in command. I used PowerExpand as an example. I want to thank Paul Rubin, Dave Wagner and Count Dracula (whoever he is!) for offering such informative comments, solutions and advice. Since I proposed the question I hereby assume the "right of last comment" otherwise known as getting the last word in. From the responses I have seen, I conclude that only Angels and Experts should dare modify built-in commands with options. Far better is to simply invent your own function (say, in this case, InverseExpand) and, if necessary call the built-in command within the definition of your function (so in this example, I would call PowerExpand within InverseExpand) thereby getting the functionality of both. There is simply too much intermeshing of commands and packages for the non-expert to unravel-and then again, why do it if other options exist (no pun intended). Jack