Re: pattern matching: rules that stop other rules?
- To: mathgroup at smc.vnet.net
- Subject: [mg71610] Re: [mg71596] pattern matching: rules that stop other rules?
- From: Bob Hanlon <hanlonr at cox.net>
- Date: Sat, 25 Nov 2006 05:36:47 -0500 (EST)
- Reply-to: hanlonr at cox.net
If has the attribute HoldRest (Hold all but the first position)
Attributes[If]
{HoldRest,Protected}
f[x_]=0;
ClearAll[qwerty];
qwerty[p,1,f[2]]
qwerty(p,1,0)
SetAttributes[qwerty, HoldRest];
qwerty[p,1,f[2]]
qwerty(p,1,f(2))
Look in Help browser for Attributes
Bob Hanlon
---- croddie at princeton.edu wrote:
> Hello. I've been using Mathamatica for quite a while but without ever
> finding out how the language works fundamentally, which I'm trying to
> do now. I'd be grateful for some help in understanding patterns - it
> seems like a powerful idea to me. There is something I can't work out.
>
> Define a function f [x_]:=0 say
> Now If [ p, 1, f [ 2] ] evaluates to itself. So the rule in the
> definition is not applied to f [ 2 ].
>
> Replace If with some other undefined function, say qwerty, and you get
> qwerty [ p, 1, 0] not surprisingly. And If [ p, 1, f [ 2] ] /. f
> [x_]->0 returns If [ p, 1, 0 ].
>
> Is there a rule associated with If that stops a rule (if that's the
> right expression) from being applied inside it? Can users write such
> rules?
>
> Thanks for any help.
>