Re: HoldAll
- To: mathgroup at smc.vnet.net
- Subject: [mg66574] Re: [mg66550] HoldAll
- From: "Igor C. Antonio" <igora at wolf-ram.com>
- Date: Sat, 20 May 2006 04:47:55 -0400 (EDT)
- Organization: Wolfram Research, Inc.
- References: <200605190740.DAA12901@smc.vnet.net>
- Reply-to: igora at wolf-ram.com
- Sender: owner-wri-mathgroup at wolfram.com
MR,
HoldAll doesn't mean it will hold the values forever. It will not evaluated the
arguments until after they've been passed into the function.
Example:
In[1]:= f[{a_ + b_}] := a
In[2]:= f[{1 + 2}]
Out[2]= f[{3}]
In the code above, Mathematica first evaluated {1+2}, then passed it as an
argument to the function f. Since there's no definition of f to handle f[{x_}],
it returned unevaluated.
In[3]:= SetAttributes[g, HoldAll]
In[4]:= g[{a_ + b_}] := a + b
In[5]:= g[{1 + 2}]
Out[5]= 3
With HoldAll, {1+2} was passed to the function as it is. It matched the pattern
and then once "inside" the function, then it was evaluated normally.
If you don't want something to evaluate until you want to, use Hold.
Igor
umrakmm at cc.umanitoba.ca wrote:
> Hello to everyone
>
> Quick question with regards to why the HoldAll attribute no longer works once
> you define the function. For example, before the definition, it serves the
> purpose it was meant to serve:
>
> Input
> Clear[ff]
> SetAttributes[ff, HoldAll]
> ff[1, 2, 3 + 4]
>
> Output
> ff[1, 2, 3 + 4]
>
> But once I actually assign the "functional guts", it doesn't do what it did
> above:
> ff[x_, y_, z_] := x + y + z;
> ff[1, 2, 3 + 4]
>
> 10
>
> Why?
>
> Thanks to all
> MR
>
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--
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Igor C. Antonio
Wolfram Research, Inc.
http://www.wolfram.com
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- References:
- HoldAll
- From: umrakmm@cc.umanitoba.ca
- HoldAll