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Re: Package Help in Mathematica 6

• To: mathgroup at smc.vnet.net
• Subject: [mg75971] Re: Package Help in Mathematica 6
• From: "Dana DeLouis" <dana.del at gmail.com>
• Date: Mon, 14 May 2007 03:40:55 -0400 (EDT)

> C:\Program Files\Wolfram Research\
>   Mathematica\6.0\Documentation\English\Packages

I find the new "help" system worthless.  It is sad, but in Windows Explorer,
I have been searching around here for stuff to read.
There is a folder called "Compatibility" that talks about some of the
packages, and their changes.  Even here, the help files are not very
helpful.
I have no idea what Wolfram was thinking when they came up with this
terrible Help system.

For example, I am interested in Combinatorica.  A new user would have no
idea what that was.  Earlier, I was trying to figure out which of two
Combinatorica.m packages is which.
There are two:
LegacyPackages\DiscreteMath
&
Packages\Combinatorica
I noticed that the code in the second one above, the logic bug for
"CostOfPath" was fixed.  It will now work correctly with Directed or
Undirected graphs.  But, this is a hard way to do it.  

This help system is not designed well for such a large system.  It needs to
be broken down into sections that are more readable.  My hand is sore from
all the clicking.  For each item, you have to click "more about., scope,
properties, issues.etc.  
Absolutely terrible!!
-- 
Dana DeLouis
Windows XP & Mathematica 6
(& Keeping 5.2 for help file)


"Roland Franzius" <roland.franzius at uos.de> wrote in message
news:f21dk8$67i$1 at smc.vnet.net...
>I have tried to find the package documentations. I found out that you 
> may type the package name as a directory in the search line of the help 
> broser e.g.
> 
> VectorAnalysis/ref/
> 
> I cannot find any browsing possibility in the new Help browser. Do I 
> miss something the browser entry that was in vs. 5.x
> 
> Help/AddOns/Standard Packages
> 
> I understand that the package guides and reference files are now in the
path
> 
> C:\Programme\Wolfram Research\Mathematica\
>
6.0\Documentation\English\Packages\VectorAnalysis\Documentation\English\Guid
es
> 
> and I dont understand why the is no link to this area in the help browser.
> 
> -- 
> 
> Roland Franzius
>

• Follow-Ups:
  • Re: Re: Package Help in Mathematica 6
    • From: Murray Eisenberg <murray@math.umass.edu>