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Two Version 6.0 Package Problems

• To: mathgroup at smc.vnet.net
• Subject: [mg77112] Two Version 6.0 Package Problems
• From: "David Park" <djmpark at comcast.net>
• Date: Mon, 4 Jun 2007 03:46:04 -0400 (EDT)

I write packages by using a regular notebook with Initialization cells and 
saving it as an AutoGeneratedPackage. I have come across the following two 
problems while converting a 5.2 package to 6.0.

1) Part expressions in the subscripted  form (for example from the 
BasicMathInput palette, 6th row right) do not parse from the generated .m 
file. Packages that contain these expressions will not load correctly. Nor 
are these expressions detected as an incompatibility issued when checking 
the source notebook.  I  think this subscripted form came in with Version 4. 
For a long time I resisted it but finally decided that it was easier to read 
and was here to stay.  If one looks at the .m file, these expressions are 
flagged in red but it appears that the only way to correct them is to go 
back to the original notebook, tracked them down, and write them as 
nonsubscripted Part expressions. I think that these expressions should be 
accepted and parsed in the package files.

2) All cells in the source notebook are now automatically Initialization 
cells and there is no way to change any of them. This is quite bad because 
there are a number of reasons for having nonitialization cells in a package 
source notebook. I often put in Text cell comments that give the date and 
reason that some change was made. I don't want these comments to be in the 
..m package file. Also, I often make a new version of a routine but do not 
want to immediately throw out the old routine code. I could formerly do this 
by making the old code cell a noninitialization cell but can no longer do 
that. This is a serious loss of development capability. I believe this is a 
bug because one can select a cell and use Menu -> Cell -> Cell Properties -> 
Initialization Cell and this will be either checked or unchecked. It will 
toggle when one selects it. However, it does not affect the Initialization 
character of the cell in the source notebook. And even when the menu item is 
unchecked the cell still goes into the .m file and causes problems.


-- 
David Park
djmpark at comcast.net
http://home.comcast.net/~djmpark/