Re: RE: Re: undocumented function StringQ
- To: mathgroup at smc.vnet.net
- Subject: [mg47766] Re: [mg47750] RE: [mg47734] Re: [mg47562] undocumented function StringQ
- From: Andrzej Kozlowski <akoz at mimuw.edu.pl>
- Date: Mon, 26 Apr 2004 02:41:08 -0400 (EDT)
- References: <200404250913.FAA04608@smc.vnet.net>
- Sender: owner-wri-mathgroup at wolfram.com
At least some of them used to be documented and, when they were declared obsolete, the documentation was deliberately removed. Such is, for example, AlgebraicRules, whose documentation was removed in version 3. There are also, I think, other functions that are intentionally left undocumented because they may be changed in future versions. Andrzej Kozlowski Chiba, Japan http://www.mimuw.edu.pl/~akoz/ On 25 Apr 2004, at 18:13, DrBob wrote: > Fascinating! > > So it's easy to identify at least 475 poorly documented or undocumented > symbols; I wonder how long it would take someone to document them? > > DrBob > > www.eclecticdreams.net > > > -----Original Message----- > From: Ingolf Dahl [mailto:ingolf.dahl at telia.com] To: mathgroup at smc.vnet.net > To: mathgroup at smc.vnet.net > Subject: [mg47766] [mg47750] [mg47734] Re: [mg47562] undocumented function > StringQ > > > Subject: [mg47766] [mg47750] [mg47734] Re: [mg47562] undocumented function: > StringQ > > > > One historical detail concerning StringQ: > > In my Mathematica 3 Bible I cannot find StringQ documented. In July > 1998, > Ted Ersek sent a list of undocumented 3.0 Features to MathGroup > [mg13427]. > StringQ was not included. > > In August 1998 [mg13652], Robert Villegas submitted another list of > undocumented commands as reply to Ted Ersek. StringQ was not included > here > either. Robert Villegas even submitted a routine to obtain such a list: > > Block[{$Urgent = {}}, > > Select[Names["System`*"], > > (Information[#]; Not @ StringQ[ > > MessageName @@ Append[ToHeldExpression[#], "usage"] > > ])& > > ] > > ] > > > > Now to the point: "StringQ" is used in this routine! > > This StringQ case is peculiar. There has been one explicit complaint > before, > from J. Leko in Sept. 2000 in message [mg25454]. Why have there not > been > more complaints, and why has not Wolfram corrected the documentation? > Maybe > it is so that Mathematica now has improved SO much that the users can > afford > to complain about small blemishes. And the guys at Wolfram have had > other > priorities (to accomplish this improvement), with some documentation > lag as > effect. > > For the curious: What happens if we use the Villegas routine in > Mathematica > 5.0.1? The result is here (converted to InputForm!): > > {"ActiveItem", "AddOnHelpPath", > > "AdjustmentBoxOptions", "After", "AlgebraicRules", > > "Alias", "AlignmentMarker", "AllowInlineCells", > > "AllowScriptLevelChange", "AnimationCycleOffset", > > "AnimationCycleRepetitions", "AutoEvaluateEvents", > > "AutoGeneratedPackage", "AutoIndentSpacings", > > "AutoloadPath", "AutoOpenNotebooks", > > "AutoOpenPalettes", "AutoScroll", > > "AutoStyleOptions", "Axis", > > "BackgroundTasksSettings", "Backsubstitution", > > "Backward", "Before", "BeginDialogPacket", > > "BeginFrontEndInteractionPacket", "BezoutMatrix", > > "BinaryGet", "Bounds", "Box", "BoxBaselineShift", > > "BoxData", "BoxDimensions", "BoxForm", > > "BoxFormFormatTypes", "BoxFrame", "BoxMargins", > > "BoxRegion", "Buchberger", "Button", > > "ButtonBoxOptions", "ButtonCell", "ButtonContents", > > "ButtonStyleMenuListing", "CallPacket", > > "CellBoundingBox", "CellBracketOptions", > > "CellContents", "CellElementsBoundingBox", > > "CellElementSpacings", "CellFrameColor", > > "CellFrameLabelMargins", "CellFrameLabels", > > "CellGroup", "CellGroupingRules", > > "CellHorizontalScrolling", "CellLabelMargins", > > "CellLabelPositioning", "CellObject", > > "CellPasswords", "CellSize", "CellStyle", > > "CharacterEncodingsPath", "ClipboardNotebook", > > "Closed", "ClosingAutoSave", > > "ColorSelectorSettings", "Column", > > "CommonDefaultFormatTypes", "CompileOptimizations", > > "CompletionsListPacket", "Compose", > > "ConfigurationPath", "ConsoleMessage", > > "ConsoleMessagePacket", "ConsolePrint", > > "ConstrainedMax", "ConstrainedMin", > > "ContentsBoundingBox", "Continuation", > > "ContourSmoothing", "ConvertToBitmapPacket", > > "ConvertToPostScript", "CounterAssignments", > > "CounterBox", "CounterBoxOptions", > > "CounterEvaluator", "CounterFunction", > > "CounterIncrements", "CounterStyle", > > "CounterStyleMenuListing", "CreatePalettePacket", > > "Cubics", "CurrentlySpeakingPacket", > > "DefaultFontProperties", "DefaultFormatType", > > "DefaultFormatTypeForStyle", > > "DefaultInlineFormatType", > > "DefaultInputFormatType", "DefaultNaturalLanguage", > > "DefaultNewInlineCellStyle", "DefaultNotebook", > > "DefaultOutputFormatType", > > "DefaultStyleDefinitions", "DefaultTextFormatType", > > "DefaultTextInlineFormatType", "DefineExternal", > > "DelimiterMatching", "DependentVariables", > > "DiacriticalPositioning", "DialogIndent", > > "DisableConsolePrintPacket", "DisplayAnimation", > > "DisplayEndPacket", "DisplayFlushImagePacket", > > "DisplayPacket", "DisplayRules", > > "DisplaySetSizePacket", "Down", "DrawHighlighted", > > "DualLinearProgramming", "EditButtonSettings", > > "EditCellTagsSettings", "Empty", > > "EnableConsolePrintPacket", "EndDialogPacket", > > "EndFrontEndInteractionPacket", "Enter", > > "EnterExpressionPacket", "EnterTextPacket", > > "ErrorBoxOptions", "ErrorNorm", "ErrorPacket", > > "ErrorsDialogSettings", "EvaluatePacket", > > "EvaluationCell", "EvaluationCompletionAction", > > "EvaluatorNames", "EventEvaluator", "ExactNumberQ", > > "ExponentPosition", "ExportAutoReplacements", > > "ExportPacket", "ExpressionPacket", "ExternalCall", > > "ExternalDataCharacterEncoding", "FactorComplete", > > "Fail", "FEDisableConsolePrintPacket", > > "FEEnableConsolePrintPacket", "File", "FileBrowse", > > "FileFormat", "FileName", "FileNameDialogSettings", > > "FindSettings", "FitAll", "FlushPrintOutputPacket", > > "Font", "FontProperties", "FontReencoding", > > "FontVariations", "FormatRules", > > "FormatTypeAutoConvert", "FormBoxOptions", > > "Forward", "ForwardBackward", "FractionBoxOptions", > > "FractionLine", "FrameBoxOptions", > > "FrontEndObject", "FrontEndStackSize", > > "FrontEndToken", "FrontEndTokenExecute", > > "FrontEndVersion", "GenerateBitmapCaches", > > "GetBoundingBoxSizePacket", "GetFileName", > > "GetFrontEndOptionsDataPacket", > > "GetLinebreakInformationPacket", "GetMenusPacket", > > "GetPageBreakInformationPacket", > > "GlobalPreferences", "GlobalSession", > > "GraphicsData", "GraphicsGrouping", "Grid", > > "GridBoxOptions", "GridCreationSettings", > > "GridFrame", "GridFrameMargins", "Hash", > > "HelpBrowserLookup", "HelpBrowserNotebook", > > "HelpBrowserSettings", "Hessian", "Horizontal", > > "HorizontalScrollPosition", > > "HyperlinkCreationSettings", "HyphenationOptions", > > "ImageCache", "ImageCacheValid", "ImageOffset", > > "ImageRangeCache", "ImageRegion", > > "ImportAutoReplacements", "IncludeFileExtension", > > "Indent", "IndentingNewlineSpacings", > > "IndentMaxFraction", "IndexCreationOptions", > > "InexactNumberQ", "Inherited", > > "InitializationCellEvaluation", > > "InitializationCellWarning", > > "InlineCounterAssignments", > > "InlineCounterIncrements", "InlineRules", > > "InputAutoFormat", "InputGrouping", > > "InputNamePacket", "InputPacket", "InputSettings", > > "InputStringPacket", "InputToInputForm", > > "InputToStandardForm", "InsertionPointObject", > > "Interactive", "Interlaced", > > "InterpolationPrecision", > > "InterpretationBoxOptions", "InterruptSettings", > > "Language", "Larger", "LayoutInformation", > > "LimitsPositioningTokens", "LineBreak", > > "LinebreakAdjustments", "LineBreakWithin", > > "LineWrapParts", "LinkActivate", "LinkConnectedQ", > > "LinkOptions", "LiteralSearch", > > "LUBackSubstitution", "MacintoshSystemPageSetup", > > "Manual", "MathematicaNotation", "MathMLText", > > "MaxStepFraction", "MaxSteps", "MenuPacket", > > "MessageOptions", "MessagePacket", > > "MessagesNotebook", "MethodOptions", > > "MousePointerNote", "MultilaunchWarning", > > "NeedCurrentFrontEndPackagePacket", > > "NeedCurrentFrontEndSymbolsPacket", > > "NestedScriptRules", "Next", "NormalGrouping", > > "Normalized", "NormalSelection", "NormFunction", > > "NotebookConvert", "NotebookConvertSettings", > > "NotebookCreateReturnObject", "NotebookDefault", > > "NotebookDirectory", "NotebookFindReturnObject", > > "NotebookGetLayoutInformationPacket", > > "NotebookGetMisspellingsPacket", > > "NotebookInformation", "NotebookOpenReturnObject", > > "NotebookPath", "NotebookPutReturnObject", > > "NotebookResetGeneratedCells", "NotebookSaveAs", > > "NotebookSetupLayoutInformationPacket", > > "NotebooksMenu", "NotElement", "OLEData", "Open", > > "OpenFunctionInspectorPacket", > > "OpenSpecialOptions", "OptimizationLevel", > > "OptionInspectorSettings", "OptionsPacket", > > "OptionValueBox", "OptionValueBoxOptions", > > "OutputAutoOverwrite", "OutputFormData", > > "OutputGrouping", "OutputNamePacket", > > "OutputToOutputForm", "OutputToStandardForm", > > "Over", "Overscript", "OverscriptBoxOptions", > > "PageFooterLines", "PageFooters", > > "PageHeaderLines", "PageHeaders", "PageHeight", > > "PalettePath", "PaperWidth", "ParentConnect", > > "PasteBoxFormInlineCells", "PeriodicInterpolation", > > "Placeholder", "PolynomialForm", "PowerModList", > > "Precedence", "PreferencesPath", > > "PreserveStyleSheet", "Previous", > > "PrimaryPlaceholder", "PrintAction", "PrintForm", > > "PrintingCopies", "PrintingOptions", > > "PrintingPageRange", "PrintingStartingPageNumber", > > "PrintPrecision", "PrivateCellOptions", > > "PrivateEvaluationOptions", "PrivateFontOptions", > > "PrivateNotebookOptions", "PrivatePaths", > > "Quartics", "RadicalBoxOptions", "RandomSeed", > > "RawData", "Release", "RenderingOptions", > > "ResetMenusPacket", "ResumePacket", > > "ReturnExpressionPacket", "ReturnPacket", > > "ReturnTextPacket", "Row", "RulerUnits", > > "Saveable", "SaveAutoDelete", "ScreenRectangle", > > "ScriptLevel", "ScriptRules", "ScrollingOptions", > > "ScrollPosition", "SectionGrouping", "Selection", > > "SelectionCell", "SelectionCellCreateCell", > > "SelectionCellDefaultStyle", > > "SelectionCellParentStyle", > > "SelectionDuplicateCell", "SelectionSetStyle", > > "SelectionStrategy", "SendFontInformationToKernel", > > "SetBoxFormNamesPacket", "SetEvaluationNotebook", > > "SetFileLoadingContext", "SetNotebookStatusLine", > > "SetOptionsPacket", "SetSpeechParametersPacket", > > "SetValue", "ShowClosedCellArea", "ShowContents", > > "ShowGroupOpenCloseIcon", "ShowShortBoxForm", > > "ShrinkWrapBoundingBox", "SingularValues", > > "Smaller", "SoundAndGraphics", "Space", > > "SpanLineThickness", "SpanningCharacters", > > "SpanSymmetric", "Sparse", "SpeakTextPacket", > > "SpellingDictionaries", "SpellingDictionariesPath", > > "SpellingOptions", "SpellingSuggestionsPacket", > > "Spherical", "SqrtBoxOptions", "StartupSound", > > "StringBreak", "StyleBoxAutoDelete", > > "StyleBoxOptions", "StyleData", "StyleMenuListing", > > "StyleNameDialogSettings", "StyleSheetPath", > > "Subscript", "SubscriptBoxOptions", "Subscripted", > > "Subsuperscript", "SubsuperscriptBoxOptions", > > "SugarCube", "Superscript", > > "SuperscriptBoxOptions", "SuspendPacket", > > "SylvesterMatrix", "Syntax", "SyntaxForm", > > "SyntaxPacket", "SystemException", > > "SystemHelpPath", "SystemStub", "Tab", > > "TabFilling", "TabSpacings", "TagBoxOptions", > > "TaggingRules", "TagStyle", "TemporaryVariable", > > "TensorQ", "TensorRank", "TextBoundingBox", > > "TextData", "TextForm", "TextLine", "TextPacket", > > "TextParagraph", "TitleGrouping", "Toggle", > > "ToggleFalse", "Top", "TotalHeight", > > "TraditionalFunctionNotation", > > "TraditionalNotation", "TraditionalOrder", > > "TransparentColor", "UnAlias", "Underoverscript", > > "UnderoverscriptBoxOptions", "Underscript", > > "UnderscriptBoxOptions", > > "UndocumentedTestFEParserPacket", > > "UndocumentedTestGetSelectionPacket", "Up", "URL", > > "Value", "ValueBox", "ValueBoxOptions", "Verbose", > > "VerboseConvertToPostScriptPacket", "Version", > > "VersionNumber", "Vertical", > > "ViewPointSelectorSettings", "VisibleCell", > > "WindowFrameElements", "WindowWidth", > > "ZeroWidthTimes", "$", "$AddOnsDirectory", > > "$AnimationDisplayFunction", "$AnimationFunction", > > "$InterfaceEnvironment", "$LaunchDirectory", > > "$LicenseID", "$Off", "$PreferencesDirectory", > > "$PSDirectDisplay", "$RasterFunction", > > "$RootDirectory", "$SoundDisplay", "$TopDirectory", > > "$TraceOff", "$TraceOn", "$UserAddOnsDirectory"} > > > > The length has increased from 205 to 475 items. But StringQ is still > not in > the list, and many of the items in the list, such as "After" and > "WindowWidth" are documented in some way. So Villegas routine is not > really > fully adequate, since it does not relate to the Help Master Index. Can > the > routine be improved? How many different sets of indices can be found > (Help > Master Index, Information, Names["System`*"] etc)? It seems reasonable > that > the entries that are given by Names["System`*"] and Information should > agree, and that they should be a subset of the entries under the Help > Master > Index, but that does not seem to be the case. Just as a check, I do > not find > the following entries from the above list under "A" or "B" in the Help > Master Index: > > > > {"ActiveItem", "After" ("After" is documented in the help under > "SelectionMove", but it > > is not indexed), "AllowScriptLevelChange", "AutoEvaluateEvents", > "AutoIndentSpacings", > > "AutoScroll", "Backsubstitution" ("Back substitution" exists), > "Backward", > "Before", > > "BeginDialogPacket", "BeginFrontEndInteractionPacket", "BezoutMatrix", > "BinaryGet", > > "Bounds" (F1 under Windows takes you to "TravelingSalesmanBounds"!), > > "BoxDimensions", "BoxForm", "BoxRegion", "Buchberger" (F1 takes you to > > "Buchberger algorithm"), "Button"} > > > > "Box" is included, but if I highlight Box and press F1, I get to > "Boxed"! > > > > There seems to be a need of a check of all the items given by > Names["System`*"]. Maybe this > > could be a task for some existing or new employee at Wolfram? > > > > Ingolf Dahl > > Sweden > > > > > >
- References:
- RE: Re: undocumented function StringQ
- From: "DrBob" <drbob@bigfoot.com>
- RE: Re: undocumented function StringQ