 |
|
|
|
|
 |
 |
|
Using Color to Manipulate Expressions
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Organization: | David Bailey Consultancy |
|
|
|
|
|
|
1998 WorldWide Mathematica Conference
|
|
|
|
|
|
Chicago, IL
|
|
|
|
|
|
This paper describes a package (available as shareware) that makes it easy to specify arbitrary operations on Mathematica expressions by coloring the part(s) of the expressions to be manipulated. This expands greatly on what is possible using highlighting and palette buttons because: 1) several parts of an expression can be selected simultaneously so that, for example, two nonadjacent terms of a large sum can be selected and subjected to an arbitrary operation, 2) coloring is implemented in such a way that it stays in the notebook, thereby leaving an audit trail of work done, and 3) any arbitrary rule of function (not just those already available in palettes) can be applied to subexpressions selected by color.
Most of the paper describes the package from a user's point of view, using FullForm to explain what a colored expression "looks like" to Mathematica. The software is illustrated by a number of realistic examples, and the essentially open-ended possibilities offered by coloring are emphasized. Later sections outline the implementation of the package. It is anticipated that this technique will be of interest to those (such as teachers) who want to use Mathematica as an algebraic calculator without becoming embroiled in programming issues.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
expression manipulation
|
|
|
|
|
|
http://library.wolfram.com/conferences/conference98/abstracts/using_color.html
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Bailey.sit (16.5 KB) - Macintosh | | Bailey.zip (16.1 KB) - PC/Unix |
|
|
For the newest resources, visit Wolfram Repositories and Archives »
