MathGroup Archive 2008

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

Search the Archive

Re: Unacceptable bug in Mathematica

  • To: mathgroup at smc.vnet.net
  • Subject: [mg93529] Re: Unacceptable bug in Mathematica
  • From: Nikolaus Rath <Nikolaus at rath.org>
  • Date: Thu, 13 Nov 2008 21:06:19 -0500 (EST)
  • References: <gfgqf2$dj0$1@smc.vnet.net>

psycho_dad <s.nesseris at gmail.com> writes:
> The other day, a friend discovered something that may qualify as a
> major bug in Mathematica (tested in 6.0.3):
>
> SyntaxQ["Exp[]"]
>
> (notice that Exp has no argument) returns
>
> True !!!!
>
> According to the documentation:
>
> SyntaxQ["string"] returns True if the string corresponds to
> syntactically correct input for a single Mathematica expression, and
> returns False otherwise.

But that is a syntactically correct expression, just like {} or foo[].
You are probably complaining that Exp[] doesn't have any semantics,
but this is not what SyntaxQ checks. The warning message that
Mathematica generates when you try to evaluate Exp[] is also not a
syntax error (what you would get if you enter e.g. Exp][) but a
message generated on evaluation (rather than parsing), i.e. when
applying substitution rules on the parsed expression.

HTH,

   -Nikolaus

--
 =C2=BBIt is not worth an intelligent man's time to be in the majority.
  By definition, there are already enough people to do that.=C2=AB
                                                         -J.H. Hardy

  PGP fingerprint: 5B93 61F8 4EA2 E279 ABF6  02CF A9AD B7F8 AE4E 425C


  • Prev by Date: Complement ...
  • Next by Date: Re: Model the surface of an ellipsoid
  • Previous by thread: Re: Unacceptable bug in Mathematica
  • Next by thread: Re: Unacceptable bug in Mathematica