Re: Usage Messages in Mathematica
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- Subject: [mg131311] Re: Usage Messages in Mathematica
- From: Simon <simon.rochester at gmail.com>
- Date: Thu, 27 Jun 2013 06:31:14 -0400 (EDT)
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I think I've got a solution to this problem (I've also posted this over on Stack Exchange Mathematica): During evaluation, Information[symbol] and ?symbol both call a function System`Dump`fixmessagestring, with definition System`Dump`fixmessagestring[System`Dump`s_] := "\""<>StringReplace[System`Dump`s,{"\n"->"\\n","\\"->"\\\\","\""->"\\\""}]<>"\"" If one redefines this function, by evaluating System`Dump`fixmessagestring[System`Dump`s_] := ToString@InputForm@System`Dump`s it appears to accomplish the same task, but without screwing up user-defined usage messages. I've checked this in Mathematica versions 6, 7, and 8, but not version 9. So far I haven't seen any negative side effects as a result of this redefinition. I would be very interested if anybody finds a reason not to make this change. -Simon Rochester On Saturday, December 29, 2012 7:24:51 PM UTC-8, Murray Eisenberg wrote: > Same thing on my Mac OS X installation of Mathematica 9. (Quotes the > > first time in output from ?f, not thereafter.) > > > > On the other hand, of course, simply evaluating f::usage produces output > > with no quotes. > > > > On Dec 29, 2012, at 3:13 PM, djmpark <djmpark at comcast.net> wrote: > > > > > No, on my system (M9, Windows 7) the first time > > > > > > ?f > > > > > > is evaluated I obtain a usage message with quotes around it. If the same > > > statement is evaluated again the quotes go away. Of course, it is the first > > > evaluation that the user will see. > > > > > > > > > David Park > > > djmpark at comcast.net > > > http://home.comcast.net/~djmpark/index.html > > > > > > > > > > > > From: Bob Hanlon [mailto:hanlonr357 at gmail.com] > > > > > > > > > Using both Format and usage messages seems to work. > > > > > > Clear[f]; > > > Format[f[n_, x_]]:= > > > Subscript[f, n][x]; > > > f::usage="f[n, x] gives " <> > > > ToString[f[n, x], StandardForm]<>"."; > > > > > > f::usage > > > > > > f[n, x] > > > > > > f[n, x]//TraditionalForm > > > > > > Clear[g]; > > > Format[g[n_, a_, x_]]:= > > > Power[Subscript[g, n], a][x]; > > > g::usage="g[n, a, x] gives " <> > > > ToString[g[n, a, x], StandardForm]<>"."; > > > > > > g::usage > > > > > > g[n, a, x] > > > > > > g[n, a, x]//TraditionalForm > > > > > > > > > Bob Hanlon > > > > > > > > > On Fri, Dec 28, 2012 at 5:36 AM, Murray Eisenberg = > > <murray at math.umass.edu> > > > wrote: > > >> And yet usage messages for built-in objects seem to handle in-line > > >> expressions and subscripts with aplomb. See, for example: > > >> > > >> Subscript::usage > > >> > > >> > > >> On Dec 27, 2012, at 5:04 AM, djmpark <djmpark at comcast.net> wrote: > > >> > > >>> An extremely weak features of Mathematica is the design of Usage > > >>> messages, which seems to be stuck at Version 1, although the > > >>> technology has moved far beyond that. > > >>> > > >>> The present design is not up to the task and full of gotchas. For > > >>> example, how does one include a box structure, for example a > > >>> subscripted symbol, within a usage message? If one just enters a > > >>> subscript then the first time the message is displayed there are > > >>> quotes around it and the second time the quotes go away. If one > > >>> starts an InlineCell within the string and enters the expression then > > >>> that problem goes away. If one then moves the usage definition to a > > >>> package and Runs the package it works OK. But if one saves and closes > > >>> the package, quits the kernel and then reinitializes, loading the > > >>> package, the usage message is defective giving the InputForm of the > > >>> box expression. Mathematica parses and changes the usage messages when > > > the file is read. > > >>> > > >>> The String form is just not adequate for usage messages. Nor is it > > >>> adequate to contain information on overloading functions. Usage > > >>> definitions should be expressions. Something like the following: > > >>> > > >>> Usage[FunctionName] = {{template, usageExpression}..} > > >>> > > >>> (The usageExpression might be a Row containing Strings and > > >>> mathematical expressions.)... > > >> > > >> --- > > >> Murray Eisenberg murray at math.umass.edu > > >> Mathematics & Statistics Dept. > > >> Lederle Graduate Research Tower phone 413 549-1020 (H) > > >> University of Massachusetts 413 545-2838 (W) > > >> 710 North Pleasant Street fax 413 545-1801 > > >> Amherst, MA 01003-9305 > > >> > > >> > > >> > > >> > > >> > > >> > > > > > > > --- > > Murray Eisenberg murray at math.umass.edu > > Mathematics & Statistics Dept. > > Lederle Graduate Research Tower phone 413 549-1020 (H) > > University of Massachusetts 413 545-2838 (W) > > 710 North Pleasant Street fax 413 545-1801 > > Amherst, MA 01003-9305