Re: named pattern variable scoped as global, should be local
- To: mathgroup at smc.vnet.net
- Subject: [mg56754] Re: named pattern variable scoped as global, should be local
- From: dh <dh at metrohm.ch>
- Date: Thu, 5 May 2005 06:01:36 -0400 (EDT)
- References: <d59kg5$6ch$1@smc.vnet.net>
- Sender: owner-wri-mathgroup at wolfram.com
Hi Lee,
It certainly looks rather strange and I think it is more a bug than a
feature. I am not 100% sure how it works, but here is my attempt for an
explanation. It has to do with the difference between Rule and RuleDelayed.
Although the manual for "Rule" says:
"Symbols that occur as pattern names in lhs are treated as local to the
rule. This is true when the symbols appear on the right-hand side of /;
conditions in lhs, and when the symbols appear anywhere in rhs, even
inside other scoping constructs.". And in A.3.8 we read:
"In general, symbols with names of the form xxx are renamed xxx$"
Now, consider
lhs->rhs
here rhs seems to be evaluated first without localization of variable
names. Only in the return value of rhs are the variables localized and
replaced. Consider:
x=.;
a/.x_ ->(Print[x]; x)
this prints x and returns a. On evaluation of the rhs x is not yet
renamed to x$ and prints simply as x. If x has a value, this value is
inserted before any localization of variables. This can be seen in:
x=2;
a/.x_ -> (Print[x]; x)
this prints 2 and returns 2.
Now there seesm to be a way to localize variables before evaluating the
rhs, namly RuleDelayed:
x =.;
a /. x_ :> (Print[x]; x)
this prints a and returns a.
Now we are finally coming to the core of the problem. Consider:
x =.;
Module[{x}, Print[x]; a /. x_ -> (Print[x]; x)]
this prints x$nnn (nnn=number, this is the way Module localizes
variables) followed by x and returns a.
As can be seen, Module does NOT localize variables in a rule statement!
The reason is probably that Rule should localize its variables itself.
But this happens properly only with RuleDelayed:
x =.;
Module[{x}, Print[x]; a /. x_ :> (Print[x]; x)]
this prints x$nnn followed by a and returns a.
The lesson is, beware of Rule, use rather RuleDelayed.
Sincerely, Daniel
leenewman at gmail.com wrote:
> When using a named pattern variable within a module, it should be
> scoped locally within the pattern. However, this does not seem to work
> as advertised. For example, shouldn't the pattern variable x in the
> statements below be local to the pattern? Does anyone know whether
> this is a bug, or whether I am just missing something about the usage
> of variables in patterns/condition constructs?
>
> (* this returns 14! *)
> x = 7;
> Module[{x},{1, 2, 3} /. x_ -> 2x];
>
> (* this returns {2,4,6}, assuming q is not globally defined. *)
> Remove[q];
> Module[{q},{1, 2, 3} /. q_ -> 2q];
>
>
> Lee
>