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Re: Delay in $Context changes taking effect?

• To: mathgroup at smc.vnet.net
• Subject: [mg30039] Re: [mg30006] Delay in $Context changes taking effect?
• From: Omega Consulting <omega_consulting at yahoo.com>
• Date: Wed, 25 Jul 2001 01:00:22 -0400 (EDT)
• Sender: owner-wri-mathgroup at wolfram.com

This is a parsing problem. Before evaluating, each expression is parsed. 
Any new symbols in the expression are created *before* evaluation, i.e. 
before BeginPackage alters $Context.

Ths simplest solution is to split the cell. That way "f=1" will be parsed 
after "BeginPackage["Test`"]" is evaluated.

At 11:49 PM 7/20/2001, Michael wrote:
>I am trying to use the $Pre and $Post functions to alter the context for
>variables, so that each notebook has its own set of local variables.
>However my attempts have not succeeded.  I think that $Context is supposed
>to be the default context new variables are created in, and $ContextPath the
>paths to search for existing variables in. After a lot of research, it
>appears that the problem is that changes to $Context and $ContextPath do not
>take effect until after the current line of input in a notebook is
>processed.
>
>To illustrate, if I put a BeginPackage on a separate line from the
>assignment, the newly created variable is created in the expected context.
>
>In[1]:= Remove[f, Test`f]
>
>In[2]:=
>BeginPackage["Test`"];
>f = 1;
>EndPackage[];
>
>In[3]:= Context[f]
>Out[44]= "Test`"
>
>However, if the BeginPackage is on the same line, or in a
>CompoundExpression,Block,Module,If, etc. then the newly created variable is
>created in the wrong context:
>
>In[46]:= Remove[f, Test`f]
>
>In[47]:= BeginPackage["Test`"]; f = 1; EndPackage[];
>
>In[48]:= Context[f]
>Out[48]= "Global`"
>
>I say the "wrong" context because there is nothing documented (that I can
>find) which suggests that changing $Context or $ContextPath will result in
>any delay until the change takes effect.  For what I am doing, it is
>essential that the context change immediately, otherwise all my effort is
>for nothing.
>
>Can anybody tell me what I might be doing wrong, or perhaps an alternate
>method to accomplish my goal?
>
>Thanks,
>
>Michael