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Re: Evaluate code fragment without making new cell for it?

• To: mathgroup at smc.vnet.net
• Subject: [mg127154] Re: Evaluate code fragment without making new cell for it?
• From: James Stein <mathgroup at stein.org>
• Date: Mon, 2 Jul 2012 22:18:04 -0400 (EDT)
• Delivered-to: l-mathgroup@mail-archive0.wolfram.com
• References: <201207020925.FAA13343@smc.vnet.net>

I deem this a bad idea.
I have 50+ years experience in the computer software industry.
Were I on the Mathematica team, I would resist this "bell and whistle."
Vociferously.
Too many objections to list here.

On Mon, Jul 2, 2012 at 2:25 AM, Nasser M. Abbasi <nma at 12000.org> wrote:
> Sometimes I wish the following feature existed in
> Mathematica notebook interface, but I can't seem to
> find a way to do it.
>
> Sometimes, (while trying things) I find that I want to
> evaluate small code fragment which sits in a cell that
> contains more code.
>
> Currently what I do is either copy that code fragment to
> a new cell and evaluate that cell, and when done, delete
> the cell, or split the original cell at places where I want
> to isolate the code fragment, then rejoin the cells when
> done.
>
> It will be nice, if there was a feature, where one can just
> select, using the mouse, the code fragment, and then right-click
> and say evaluate-selected.
>
> The output will go into a new output cell as normal.
>
> btw, the above is something one can do with that other
> system M____B
>
> For example, assume we have this toy cell
>
> ---CELL-----
> x = 16
> Sqrt[x]
> y = 3
> Sqrt[y*x]
> ---------
>
> And I just wanted to evaluate only
>
> x=16
> Sqrt[x]
>
> There is no easy way to do it without splitting the
> cell or making new cell as I mentioned above.
>
> This feature should not be hard to implement by
> the front end I would think.  The front end can
> make an 'internal hidden cell' in its own buffer of the
> code selected and evaluate it and send the output back.
>
> Do others think such a feature will be useful?
>
> --Nasser
>

• References:
  • Evaluate code fragment without making new cell for it?
    • From: "Nasser M. Abbasi" <nma@12000.org>