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

Re: Needs[]

• To: mathgroup at smc.vnet.net
• Subject: [mg9177] Re: [mg9167] Needs[]
• From: David Withoff <withoff>
• Date: Tue, 21 Oct 1997 02:02:50 -0400
• Sender: owner-wri-mathgroup at wolfram.com

> I have a Mathematica file containing code organized as a package.   When
> I execute "Needs["FolderName`FileName`"] it appears that Mathematica is
> able to read the file FolderName:FileName.m, but I get this warning:
>
> Needs::nocont: the context FolderName`Filename` was not created.
> 
> I am running Mathematica 3.0 on a Macintosh (Quadra).
>
> What didn't Mathematica like about my file?  To forestall one possible
> answer, yes I did begin the file with
>
> BeginPackage["FolderName`FileName`"];
>
> and yes "Needs" works as expected on files in the Standard Packages
> folder.
>
> I note that some of the cells in my file are curiously marked: the cell
> brackets have, near the top, a diagonal line slanting northwest to
> southeast.  What does this mean?
>
> --
> Christopher J. Henrich
> chenrich at monmouth.com

The Needs::nocont message is generated when Needs["context"] finds that
"context" is not present in the value of $Packages. Since "context" is
prepended to $Packages as one of the first  steps in evaluation of
BeginPackage["context"], the appearance of this message usually means
that BeginPackage["context"] hasn't been evaluated.  The first thing
that I would do to solve this problem would be to take a close look at
the .m file with an ordinary text editor.

A diagonal line on the cell bracket is used to indicate that the cell is
a StandardForm cell.

Dave Withoff
Wolfram Research