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Re: ValueBox ?

  • To: mathgroup at smc.vnet.net
  • Subject: [mg18158] Re: ValueBox ?
  • From: paulh at wolfram.com (P.J. Hinton)
  • Date: Sat, 19 Jun 1999 23:54:25 -0400
  • Organization: Wolfram Research, Inc.
  • References: <7kckj2$lrj@smc.vnet.net>
  • Sender: owner-wri-mathgroup at wolfram.com

In article <7kckj2$lrj at smc.vnet.net>, hanson.nospam at physics.auburn.edu (James D Hanson) writes:

> In a recent message, P.J. Hinton wrote
> 
> > To see if you are using such a version, paste the following
> > expression into a notebook and click "Yes" when the front end asks
> > you whether it should attempt to interpret it.
> 
> > Cell[TextData[ValueBox["$FullVersion"]], "Text"]
> 
> I am curious about just what is happening here.
> 
> When I do as I'm told, Mathematica shows
> 
>      Mathematica 3.0.1.1.x
> 
> in a cell.
> 
> When I type $FullVersion in a cell, Mathematica replies
> 
> In[1]:= $FullVersion
> 
> Out[1]= $FullVersion
> 
> Yet if I try  Cell[TextData[ValueBox["$Version"]], "Text"]
> Mathematica shows
> 
>  Macintosh 3.0
> 
> but 
> 
> In[4]:= $Version
> 
> Out[4]= "Power Macintosh 3.0 (May 6, 1997)"
> 
> What does ValueBox do? Where does it get its information about $Version
> and $FullVersion?

ValueBox[] is a front end object that instructs the front end to 
display an internal value in the location of the box.  The value
is determined by the front end and not the kernel.  

You can create ValueBox[] objects with cells that do not use 
a box form format type (StandardForm or TraditionalForm) in
Mathematica 3.0 by using the dialog box that is produced by
the front end menu command Input -> Create Value Display Object...

Clicking OK on this dialog box will create displaying whatever
value type you have specified in the top text field.  The five
list box controls below the text field give you a way to select
a particular value type.  Selecting an item from one of the list
boxes pastes the item in the top text field.  The box is inserted
at the location of the text cursor in the current selected notebook.
The combo box at the bottom allows you to create a value box that
displays a value relative to a location demarked by a cell tag.

--
P.J. Hinton	
Mathematica Programming Group		paulh at wolfram.com
Wolfram Research, Inc.
Disclaimer: Opinions expressed herein are those of the author alone.


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