MathGroup Archive 2009

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

Search the Archive

Re: Re: CellChangeTimes?

  • To: mathgroup at smc.vnet.net
  • Subject: [mg105877] Re: [mg105831] Re: CellChangeTimes?
  • From: Murray Eisenberg <murray at math.umass.edu>
  • Date: Tue, 22 Dec 2009 04:07:58 -0500 (EST)
  • Organization: Mathematics & Statistics, Univ. of Mass./Amherst
  • References: <200912191127.GAA24675@smc.vnet.net> <hgl36q$sf$1@smc.vnet.net> <200912210830.DAA28719@smc.vnet.net>
  • Reply-to: murray at math.umass.edu

I see no such glaring omission in the documentation.  The fact is, the 
documentation DOES tell how to turn off CellChangeTimes tracking.  But 
it would be unreasonable, if not impossible, for every documentation 
page that mentions a particular object to say everything one might want 
to know about that object.

Details:

First, a beginner most likely has no business looking at cell 
expressions, hence would not even know about CellChangeTimes.

Second, once somebody is advanced enough with Mathematica to be looking 
at cell expressions and hence discover CellChangeTimes -- presumably 
because he has seen it as an option in such an expression -- he should 
be in a position to discover what he needs to know about turning off 
that option in one of at least the following ways:

(1) Opening the Options Inspector (if not the simpler, more direct, menu 
item Edit > Preferences), type CellChangeTimes, and see as the 
immediately next option there, TrackCellChangeTimes.

(2) Look up CellChangeTimes in the Documentation Center and, seeing 
nothing there about how to turn it off, following the links to "Notebook 
History", then Tutorial "Notebook History Dialog".  In the latter 
tutorial, it DOES SAY precisely how to turn TrackCellChangeTimes to False.

(3) Having looked up CellChangeTimes in the Documentation Center search 
bar and being taken to the ref page for that, using the "Search for all 
pages containing CellChangeTimes" search (just below the main search bar 
there) and getting a list of references.  The 4th of these takes you 
directly to the same tutorial that I referenced above, whereas the 2nd 
takes you there in two jumps.

Perhaps one should not be quite so hasty in finding fault with 
Mathematica, or its documentation.

   the sec
AES wrote:
> In article <hgl36q$sf$1 at smc.vnet.net>,
>  Murray Eisenberg <murray at math.umass.edu> wrote:
> 
>> If you don't want CellChangeTimes at all, you can try to use the Options 
>> Inspector setting TrackCellChangeTimes->False.  But I think that will 
>> apply only to cells newly created after the change.  Or you could make 
>> that a global setting, applicable to all notebooks.  But beware: who 
>> knows to what uses that option might be put by Mathematica.  (The docs 
>> don't seem to say.)
> 
> The Help for this function ought to have had just a sentence or two, 
> prominently near the top, telling how to turn  it off (or, if there's a 
> valid reason for not turning it off -- which I very much doubt -- 
> warning not to turn it off).
> 
> Just one more example of the minor but innumerable examples of the 
> inadequacy of Wolfram/Mathematica documentation . . . sorry, had to vent 
> on this.
> 

-- 
Murray Eisenberg                     murray at math.umass.edu
Mathematics & Statistics Dept.
Lederle Graduate Research Tower      phone 413 549-1020 (H)
University of Massachusetts                413 545-2859 (W)
710 North Pleasant Street            fax   413 545-1801
Amherst, MA 01003-9305


  • Prev by Date: Re: Marbles.nb [was Re: CellChangeTimes?]
  • Next by Date: problems with parameter lumping using ReplaceAll
  • Previous by thread: Re: CellChangeTimes?
  • Next by thread: Re: CellChangeTimes?