Templates from Usage Messages
- To: mathgroup at smc.vnet.net
- Subject: [mg110959] Templates from Usage Messages
- From: "David Park" <djmpark at comcast.net>
- Date: Wed, 14 Jul 2010 05:35:45 -0400 (EDT)
I would like to have a form of input arguments that contain operational symbols as well as variables, and especially I would like to use the Span operation. Here is an example: foo::usage = "foo[a, b;;c] will operate on structure a between parts b and c."; foo[a_, (b_Integer?Positive) ;; (c_Integer?Positive)] := {a, b, c} foo[a, 2;;3] {a,2,3} The problem is that I don't know how to write the first part of the usage message such that the command completion template will come out with two variable slots for a and b with a ";;" between. Try using command completion of foo. However, I was able to write a routine that creates this type of template. makeTemplate::usage = "makeTemplate[splvar, {plvars}][function[args\[Ellipsis]] will make \ a template for function in which splvar is a selected placeholder, \ and the symbols listed in plvars are placeholders."; makeTemplate[splvar_, plvars_] := Function[expr, Module[ {spl = SymbolName[splvar], pl, splrule, plrules}, If[Length[plvars] > 0, pl = SymbolName /@ plvars; plrules = (# -> TagBox[FrameBox[#], "Placeholder"]) & /@ pl, plrules = {}]; splrule = spl -> TagBox[FrameBox[spl], "SelectionPlaceholder"]; (MakeBoxes[expr] /. splrule /. plrules) // DisplayForm ], HoldFirst] makeTemplate[a, {b, c}][foo[a, b ;; c]] gives the desired template, and I can, for example, use that in an ActionMenu drop-down paste operation. I just can't get it into a usage message and normal command completion. David Park UMLF djmpark at comcast.net <http://home.comcast.net/~djmpark> http://home.comcast.net/~djmpark/