MathGroup Archive 2007

[Date Index] [Thread Index] [Author Index]

Search the Archive

Re: Workbench - any use to me?

  • To: mathgroup at smc.vnet.net
  • Subject: [mg79544] Re: Workbench - any use to me?
  • From: Donald DuBois <donabc at comcast.net>
  • Date: Sun, 29 Jul 2007 00:05:16 -0400 (EDT)

> 
> Having read many recent posts about getting hold of
> the new version of 
> Workbench, I'm wondering whether I should get it too.
> (I have a Premier 
> Service subscription, and the download email is
> currently sitting in my 
> inbox.) The details on the Wolfram website somehow
> don't communicate what 
> the value of the software would be for me. I am not a
> "software developer", 
> but I use Mathematica a lot for solving numerical
> modelling problems and 
> visualising data in my academic research
> (physics/photonics). Some of the 
> code I write is long and complicated. My knowledge of
> Mathematica is not 
> deep; I use the bits I know essentially as a
> programming language. I don't 
> write code for other people to use.
> 
> Is Workbench likely to make it easier for me to work
> with Mathematica? Has 
> anyone in a similar situation to me found it
> valuable, or not? Is it worth 
> my while downloading, installing and learning to use,
> even if it's free?
> 
> T.
> 
> 
> 

Hello Tim,

An excellent question and I assume 
Mathematica people more experienced than I will be able to give you some insight into the tradeoffs.

I have been wondering the same thing.  I would like
to add two observations.

(1) The Workbench assumes you are creating functions
directly in the .m file and not in a notebook. All of the
functions in a package are in the same .m file as you create them.  I am use to creating a separate notebook for each function  for a package, debugging it separately
(with the needed background functions for it to work), 
documenting it in the same notebook as the function defintion in a text cell
and only after testing adding it to the intended package.
In each package, after the BeginPackage statement, I have a text cell with a listing of each funtion in the package along with a few lines of documentation so I can get a quick overview of the functions in the package
(useful when reviewing the package months after creation.)  As far as I know, the Workbench will give you, automatically, a listing of the function names in the package (those in the  .m file) but not the few lines of documentation for each function. 
I still feel more comfortable working with notebooks, but would like insights from others on the pros and cons of creating packages with Workbench since it is an open question for me as well.  

(2) There is a  debugger (under the Evaluate pull down menu) with a scaled down debugger (but without version controls etc. that come with Workbench) that may be just
fine for working with notebooks.  I don't know, not having used Workbench.  Comments by others on the tradeoffs of using Evaluate -> Debugger vs. Workbench for the purpose of debugging a function would be appreciated.

Don


  • Prev by Date: Re: Re: style question
  • Next by Date: Serious Bug in 6.0 Help Browser
  • Previous by thread: Re: Workbench - any use to me?
  • Next by thread: [Mathematica 6] spurious $Aborted messages. How to track down cause?