[Date Index] [Thread Index] [Author Index]

Getting code to execute at startup time

• To: mathgroup at smc.vnet.net
• Subject: [mg9126] Getting code to execute at startup time
• From: chenrich at monmouth.com (Christopher J. Henrich)
• Date: Mon, 13 Oct 1997 23:33:37 -0400
• Organization: Monmouth Internet
• Sender: owner-wri-mathgroup at wolfram.com

I have been frustrated trying to make Mathematica 3.0 execute code at
startup time. (Specifically: to add some items to the variable $Path.)
I am running on a Quadra, with System 7.5.3.

I found information on startup files in the reference manual, and gathered
that any or all of these locations would work:


FileName[ $PreferencesDirectory, Kernel, init.m]
FileName[ $TopDirectory, Configuration, Kernel, init.m]
FileName[ $PreferencesDirectory, AddOns, Autoload, Kernel, init.m]
FileName[ $TopDirectory, AddOns, Autoload, Kernel, init.m].

(The last two were found by inspecting the AutoloadPath option of $FrontEnd.)

In fact, as far as I could see, none of those files were executed.

I have looked through the archives of "mathgroup."  I found that, in
December 1996, Bob Stagat <stagat at mrcsb.com> posed essentially the
same question (mg5419).  I looked again and did not find that he had
ever been answered.

In all of the init files that I wrote, I made sure that the cells I was 
interested in were "initialization cells."  The cell brackets have a mysterious
slanted line (Northwest to Southeast), whose meaning I have not found
documented.  

There's got to be a way.  What is it?

-- 
Christopher J. Henrich
chenrich at monmouth.com