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Re: Do Modules Produce Side Effects?

• To: mathgroup at smc.vnet.net
• Subject: [mg47999] Re: [mg47964] Do Modules Produce Side Effects?
• From: Yasvir Tesiram <yat at omrf.ouhsc.edu>
• Date: Wed, 5 May 2004 08:11:05 -0400 (EDT)
• References: <200405040508.BAA17753@smc.vnet.net>
• Sender: owner-wri-mathgroup at wolfram.com

Hi,
Try this

Module[{m},
   m = 4;
   2*m
   ]


Block[{m},
   m = 4;
   2*m
   ]

Cheers
Yas



On May 4, 2004, at 12:08 AM, Harold Noffke wrote:

> $Version "5.0 for Microsoft Windows [2000] (November 18, 2003)"
>
> MathGroup:
>
> The MathBook definition of Module tells me, "Module creates new
> symbols to represent each of its local variables every time it is
> called."  I am led by this, and other Module descriptions, to conclude
> Modules do not produce side effects, like Blocks do.  However, we have
> ...
>
> In[1]:= m=i^2
> Out[1]= i^2
>
> In[2]:= Module[ {}, m=4; 2*m ]
> Out[2]= 8
>
> In[3]:= m
> Out[3]= 4
>
> I expected m to remain unchanged from its original i^2.  But Module
> changed m to 4, just as I would expect a Block to do.
>
> Am I misunderstanding something about the "side effect safety" of
> Modules?
>
> Regards,
> Harold

• References:
  • Do Modules Produce Side Effects?
    • From: Harold.Noffke@wpafb.af.mil (Harold Noffke)