Re: What is the point of having Initializations in DynamicModule and Manipulate?
- To: mathgroup at smc.vnet.net
- Subject: [mg123068] Re: What is the point of having Initializations in DynamicModule and Manipulate?
- From: Armand Tamzarian <mike.honeychurch at gmail.com>
- Date: Tue, 22 Nov 2011 05:36:01 -0500 (EST)
- Delivered-to: l-mathgroup@mail-archive0.wolfram.com
- References: <jad5u1$ehq$1@smc.vnet.net>
John,
I do NOT expect plot or g to dynamically update. That is not what this
is about.
On Nov 21, 8:33 pm, John Fultz <jfu... at wolfram.com> wrote:
> On Mon, 21 Nov 2011 15:57:00 +1100, Mike H wrote:
> > So the output cell containing the list {plot, "Silder", g[0]} is not a
> > display of the DynamicModule?
>
> To refresh, the code you included was...
>
> DynamicModule[{c}, {plot, Slider[Dynamic[c]], g[Dynamic@c]},
> Initialization :> (g[x_] := Cos[x]; plot = Plot[g[x], {x, 1, 10}]),
> UntrackedVariables -> {g}]
>
> * plot is not in a Dynamic. You get exactly what the Shift+Enter evaluation
> gave you.
> * g[] is not in a Dynamic (regardless of what argument you pass it). You get
> exactly what the Shift+Enter evaluation gave you.
>
> The Shift+Enter evaluation has completed long before the DynamicModule is
> displayed and the Initialization is executed.
>
> And the fact that you expected g[Dynamic@c] and/or Cos[Dynamic@c] to return
> anything sensible (which I had overlooked in your example before) indicates that
> you are failing to understand some really fundamental stuff about Dynamic.
On the contrary I have already repeatedly explained what I expect:
that is that plot would appear as the rendered plot because its global
value was set during the initialization. As far as my lack fundamental
understanding of Dynamic goes I repeat again that the example was
provided to me by Wolfram Research Inc. It is also worth noting that
when given the example I was also advised by Wolfram Research that
"The evaluation of g here is triggered by making the argument to g
dynamic."
I actually disagree with that advice provided to me by *your company*
and in fact it is wrong -- making the argument does not trigger the
evaluation of g. So rather than cast aspersions about my understanding
of Dynamic you might want to consider the knowledge base within
Wolfram.
See
> here:
>
> http://forums.wolfram.com/mathgroup/archive/2010/May/msg00440.html
>
> and especially the post I link to here:
>
> http://forums.wolfram.com/mathgroup/archive/2009/Feb/msg00424.html
>
> Simply put, what is the value of?
>
> Cos[Dynamic[Pi]]
>
> Answer...Cos[Dynamic[Pi]], but because of the way Dynamic typesets, it will look
> like Cos[Pi] (because Dynamic[Pi] looks like Pi). That is because Dynamic[Pi],
> in the Shift+Enter evaluation, always evaluates to Dynamic[Pi]. Dynamic is a
> HoldFirst function which never evaluates its argument...it merely creates a
> front end construct which evaluates and displays its argument.
yes. I agree but repeat that it is Wolfram providing this example
g[Dynamic[c]]
My question is solely about why the global value is not rendered. I am
not suggesting or expecting these variables to be dynamic so lets get
back on point.
>
> > I understand the point you make about if a colon were placed and no
> > output were generated but what is your definition of "first displayed"?
>
> It actually shows up in the front end.
>
> > I
> > guess this must be another point of difference because I would consider
> > the first display of the dynamic module as being the first time I see the
> > list {plot, "slider", g[0]} rendered.
>
> Yes, that's correct. But why would you expect 'plot' or 'g' to magically
> update, since they are not inside of Dynamic?
I don't expect them to "update." I expect them to have global values
at the time of the rendering. The values are set once only. Based on
the language which you say you are going to re-write, I expect an
initialization to set plot to the graphic (once) and then when the
dynamicmodule content is evaluated and the rendered output shows the
graphic.
>
> > So when I first see {plot, "slider", g[0]} the initialized value of plot
> > and g are not rendered. Apologies if it seems I'm laboring this point but
> > it remains confusing.
> > So it seems that the key to understanding this now becomes what the
> > definition of "display" is. Am I correct is saying that if a
> > DynamicModule is displayed -- and I await what this means -- the
> > initialization will have taken place and therefore the initialized value
> > will be shown in the display?
>
> The initialization will have taken place, but initialized values will only show
> if the FE is kicking off further evaluations to actually display them...which is
> what Dynamic does.
We're going in circles here, I do not understand how, if the
initializations have taken place, prior to the evaluation of the the
list (contents of the DM) that plot is not rendered as a graphic. If
the initialization has taken place then Global`plot must surely have a
value at the time the next step is executed -- which is the evaluation
of the DM body.
If I had evaluated plot=Plot[x,{x,0,1}] in a separate cell prior to
evaluating the DM the global value of plot would be (and is) shown in
the display. It is not a question of whether plot is updated -- I
don't expect it to be and don't want it to be (otherwise I would use
Dynamic) it is a question of whether the global value of plot is set
in the initializations prior to the evaluation of the body. If you
have an evaluation order like this:
evaluate initialization plot = plot[....]
then
evaluate {plot, slider, g[0]}
then I am still struggling to see how the global value of plot would
not be used in the displayed list if the initialization occurs first.
I'll try to explain what i expect again using a more simplified
example:
In[]= ClearAll[g];
g = "hello world";
DynamicModule[{},
g]
Out[]= "hello world"
that was what I expected.
In[]=ClearAll[g];
DynamicModule[{},
g = "hello world";
g]
Out[]="hello world"
that was what I expected. whereas
In[]=ClearAll[g];
DynamicModule[{},
g,
Initialization :> {g = "hello world"}]
Out[]= g
this is not what I expected because I thought the initialization would
establish the global value of g and therefore that value would be
*displayed*. (I do not expect g to dynamically update. How can it?)
Mike
>
> > FWIW I had assumed a display to be the rendered output.
>
> That is correct.
>
> > thanks
>
> > Mike
>
> Sincerely,
>
> John Fultz
> jfu... at wolfram.com
> User Interface Group
> Wolfram Research, Inc.