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Re: 2.9.2 How Input and Output Work

• To: mathgroup at smc.vnet.net
• Subject: [mg61854] Re: [mg61834] 2.9.2 How Input and Output Work
• From: <bsyehuda at gmail.com>
• Date: Wed, 2 Nov 2005 04:09:22 -0500 (EST)
• References: <200511010539.AAA15747@smc.vnet.net>
• Sender: owner-wri-mathgroup at wolfram.com

The parsing is done by the Kernel, so "immediately" is when you evaluate the
expression.
In addition, the "Cell[BoxData[...." that you may see in the front end is
not the expression that is passed to the kernel. This expression is
converted to another format that is passed to the kernel which in turn pars
it, process it, and send it back to the front end (and there it is converted
again to "Cell[... " expressions.
This should be transparent to the user, so I wonder, why is this so
important to you?
yehuda

On 11/1/05, Steven T. Hatton <hattons at globalsymmetry.com> wrote:
>
> 2.9.2 How Input and Output Work of the online help states that:
>
> "When you type something like x^2 what Mathematica at first sees is just
> the
> string of characters x, ^, 2. But with the usual way that Mathematica is
> set up, it immediately knows to convert this string of characters into the
> expression Power[x, 2]."
>
> What does "immediately" mean in this context? As soon as I press the '2'
> key? When I evaluate the cell? If it is the former, then why do I see
> "Cell[BoxData[SuperscriptBox["x", "2"]], "Input"]" when I view the
> expression?
> --
> "Philosophy is written in this grand book, The Universe. ... But the book
> cannot be understood unless one first learns to comprehend the language...
> in which it is written. It is written in the language of mathematics, ...
;
> without which wanders about in a dark labyrinth." The Lion of Gaul
>
>

• References:
  • 2.9.2 How Input and Output Work
    • From: "Steven T. Hatton" <hattons@globalsymmetry.com>