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Re: Re: Compile

  • To: mathgroup at smc.vnet.net
  • Subject: [mg45455] Re: [mg45445] Re: Compile
  • From: Andrzej Kozlowski <akoz at mimuw.edu.pl>
  • Date: Thu, 8 Jan 2004 01:17:29 -0500 (EST)
  • References: <btg911$8vm$1@smc.vnet.net> <200401072231.RAA10349@smc.vnet.net>
  • Sender: owner-wri-mathgroup at wolfram.com

On 8 Jan 2004, at 07:31, DGolber wrote:

>>> My final remark is that the first argument in Maxim's example can be
>>> compiled and that the result is a compiled function in which a global
>>> variable subs occurs. The above observations and conclusions remain 
>>> valid
>>> also for a compiled first argument. I cannot find any reason why
>> Mathematica
>>> would not compile the first argument when Compiled->True. But I 
>>> cannot show
>>> that Mathematica indeed did compile.
>>>
>>> Fred Simons
>>> Eindhoven University of Technology
>>
>
> That's all very nice Fred, and we thank you for the explanation.  But 
> my
> question (not for you, but for the Mathematica people who might be 
> reading this
> group to find out what users think of their product) is:
>
> Where is this discussed in the Documentation?
>
> I have a book 4 inches (100 mm) thick, that I paid for _in_addition_ 
> to paying
> for Mathematica, and neither it nor the on-line documentatoin even 
> attempts to
> explain anything like this.
>
> If someone asks me what I think of the product, I'd say "Well, if your 
> users
> have advanced degrees, they mght be able to figure out how to use it.  
> But not
> ordinary people."
>
> Dave Golber
>
>
>
Oh really? And if this sort of thing was in the documentation are you 
sure it would help you? I rather doubt it because
1. You have clearly not read the existing documentation.
2. You have not read the thread you have decided to join.

If you had done any of these things you would know that it concerns 
examples like:

subs = x->x^2
Plot[ x /. subs, {x, 0,1}, Compiled->True]

of which the documentation clearly states that they will not work and 
that one should not do this sort of thing.

Instead you should do (and if you read the thread you will find the 
relevant documentation):

subs = x->x^2
Plot[ Evaluate[x /. subs], {x, 0,1}]

It seems that according to you the Mathematica documentation ought to 
explain not only what you should do but also what will happen when you 
do what it tells you not to do. I have always believed   instructions 
like "do this" and "don't do that" were  understandable even at 
kindergarten level but it seems that with all the wonderful progress 
around us we have reached the stage that it takes an "advanced degree" 
to fully grasp  them.

Andrzej Kozlowski


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