Re: Unevaluated Expression
- To: mathgroup at smc.vnet.net
- Subject: [mg26999] Re: [mg26962] Unevaluated Expression
- From: Andrzej Kozlowski <andrzej at tuins.ac.jp>
- Date: Tue, 30 Jan 2001 23:22:19 -0500 (EST)
- Sender: owner-wri-mathgroup at wolfram.com
I am afraid that you do not make it clear enough (at least for me) what
really you would like f to return. For example, why is the following simple
method not satisfactory?
In[1]:=
f[x_] := x^2
In[2]:=
a = 10:
In[3]:=
f[HoldForm[a]]
Out[3]=
2
a
In[4]:=
ReleaseHold[%]
Out[4]=
100
Alternatively perhaps you prefer the arguments of f not evaluate at all
(without needing HoldForm in the input):
In[5]:=
Clear[f]
In[6]:=
SetAttributes[f, HoldAll]
In[7]:=
f[x_] := HoldForm[x]^2
In[8]:=
f[a]
Out[8]=
2
a
In[9]:=
ReleaseHold[%]
Out[9]=
100
And by the way, I can't understand the point of the codes you give at the
end of your posting. In particular, Composition[Hold] evaluates simply to
Hold, and f plays no role at all in the code, it might equally well be
replaced by any atomic expression you like, for example 0:
In[17]:=
First[Level[Composition[Hold][f[#]], {-1}]] & /@ {a, 10}
Out[17]=
{10, 10}
In[18]:=
First[Level[Composition[Hold][0[#]], {-1}]] & /@ {a, 10}
Out[18]=
{10, 10}
In[19]:=
First[Level[Hold[0[#]], {-1}]] & /@ {a, 10}
Out[19]=
{10, 10}
--
Andrzej Kozlowski
Toyama International University
JAPAN
http://platon.c.u-tokyo.ac.jp/andrzej/
http://sigma.tuins.ac.jp/
on 01.1.30 5:38 PM, Hermann Meier at hmeier at webshuttle.ch wrote:
> Dear Mathematica users,
>
> a = 10;
> Unprotect[ToString]; SetAttributes[ToString, HoldAll]
> ToString[a]//FullForm
> gives (as desired) "a", not 10
>
>
> Then I wanted to prevent the argument in f[x_] := x^2 from
> getting evaluated.
>
> Attributes[f] = {HoldAll}
> f[x_] := x^2
> f[Unevaluated[a]]
> gives 100.
>
> The longwinded code
> ToExpression[ToString[f[a]], InputForm, Hold] /. Hold[f[nr_]] -> nr
> or
> First[Level[Composition[Hold][f[#]],{-1}]]& /@ {a,10}
>
> at least manages to give 10 instead of 100.
>
> Is there really no way to prevent the argument in f[x] from firing ?
> (I use Mathematica 4.1 for Windows).
>
>
> With best regards
> Hermann Meier
>
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