Re: StringJoin with ToString
- To: mathgroup at smc.vnet.net
- Subject: [mg98360] Re: StringJoin with ToString
- From: replicatorzed at gmail.com
- Date: Wed, 8 Apr 2009 02:49:28 -0400 (EDT)
- References: <gr6cbs$pva$1@smc.vnet.net> <gra1qi$2jl$1@smc.vnet.net>
I was too hasty posting my reply:
First, I'm extremely sorry to mix up your name, ADL.
Second: this code of you does only half of the job: It can not convert
lists to strings verbatim,
that is toString[{1,2,3}] gives {"1","2","3"} instead of "{1,2,3}".
Which (as it seems to me) is exactly the problem causing the wrong
pinting of Messages. Still I wonder whether there is a reliable
solution to apply ToString to inputs of StringJoin without explicitely
writing it each time I call StringJoin.
If I use a different name (e.g. ExtendedStringJoin, as it was
suggested), I loose the effective shorthand version (<>), as it would
still use the original function. Is there a way to overwrite at least
the definitions of the infix operator?
Istvan
On Apr 5, 12:40 pm, ADL <alberto.dilu... at tiscali.it> wrote:
> With the following definitions, your idea appears to work (at least in
> a few examples I tested):
>
> ClearAll[toString];
> toString[x_?NumericQ, format___] := ToString[x, format];
> toString[x_[y__], format___] := x @@ (toString /@ {y});
> toString[x_Symbol, format___] := ToString[x, format];
> toString[x_, format___] := x;
>
> Unprotect[System`StringJoin];
> Unprotect[$UseNewStringJoin];
> $UseNewStringJoin = True;
> System`StringJoin[expr___] :=
> Block[{$UseNewStringJoin = False},
> StringJoin@@ (toString /@ {expr})] /; TrueQ[$UseNewStringJoin];
> Protect[$UseNewStringJoin];
> Protect[System`StringJoin];
>
> The problem was the way ToString works, which is incompatible with
> intermediate formatting functions. The definition of "toString" does
> the job.
>
> In[12]:=StringJoin[{1, 2, 3}] // InputForm
>
> Out[12]//InputForm=
> "123"
>
> In[13]:=StringJoin[1, a, 3] // InputForm
>
> Out[13]//InputForm=
> "1a3"
>
> In[17]:=StringJoin[1, "2", \[Pi]] // InputForm
>
> Out[17]//InputForm=
> "12Pi"
>
> In[15]:= Append[dummy, 2]
>
> During evaluation of In[15]:= Append::normal: Nonatomic expression
> expected at position 1 in Append[dummy,2]. >>
>
> Out[15]= Append[dummy,2]
>
> ADL
>
> On 4 Apr, 03:15, replicator... at gmail.com wrote:
>
> > It is quite interesting whyStringJoindoes not apply ToString to
> > those arguments which are non-string. I've overridden the built-in
> >StringJoin, to save a few unnecessary ToStrings by the standard method
> > (the context specifications are necessary for packaging):
>
> ...
>
> > Thanks
>
> > Istvan Zachar