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Re: Returning an empty sequence

• To: mathgroup at smc.vnet.net
• Subject: [mg63305] Re: [mg63273] Returning an empty sequence
• From: János <janos.lobb at yale.edu>
• Date: Fri, 23 Dec 2005 05:08:30 -0500 (EST)
• References: <200512220504.AAA05673@smc.vnet.net>
• Sender: owner-wri-mathgroup at wolfram.com

On Dec 22, 2005, at 12:04 AM, Trevor Baca wrote:

> What's the right way to have an expression evaluate to an empty
> sequence?
>
> I'd like ...
>
> f[n_] :=
>   Switch[n,
>     1, "foo",
>     2, Sequence[ ],
>     3, {"bar"}];
>
> ... to work, but instead I get the message
>
> Switch::"argct": "Switch called with 6 arguments. Switch must be  
> called
> with an odd number of arguments."
>
> meaning that the Sequence[ ] is flattened in the rhs definition of f[
> ].
>
> Is there a way to get f[ ] to evaluate to the empty Sequence[ ]  
> (rather
> than Null)?
>
> Trevor.

Try:

In[41]:=
f[n_] := Switch[n, 1, "foo",
     2, Unevaluated[Sequence[
       ]], 3, {"bar"}];

In[44]:=
f[2]
Out[44]=
Sequence[]

• References:
  • Returning an empty sequence
    • From: "Trevor Baca" <trevorbaca@gmail.com>