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What is an alternative to the backtick (`) in separating the namespace from the function name?

Can the function be called without using this symbol? I think in early versions of Mathematica one could use :: but it does not seem to work now.

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1  
You remember wrongly. :: (MessageName[]) was always intended for messages, and the backtick was always intended to delimit a context and a function from that context. What exactly is your problem with the backtick? – J. M.♦ May 25 '12 at 7:15
@j.m On an iPhone/iPad entering a backtick is rather time consuming. So, editing code here on MMA.SE containing a context path is extremely annoying. Other than that, I can't think of a reason for wanting to replace the backtick. – Sjoerd C. de Vries May 25 '12 at 13:50
@SjoerdC.deVries maybe some write mma code on iPads? – acl May 25 '12 at 14:26
@acl Wolfram is rumored to develop a iPad implementation. I hope they include the W|A keyboard, as my experience with backticking code on an iPad has lead to quite some curses. – Sjoerd C. de Vries May 25 '12 at 15:25
@SjoerdC.deVries most likely a reader... – acl May 25 '12 at 15:46
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1 Answer

up vote 5 down vote accepted

Here's your alternative:

test`foo[x_] := x^2 (* original function in test` context *)
ToExpression["test" <> FromCharacterCode[96] <> "foo"][x] (* Look ma! No backticks! *)
(* x^2 *)
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Even more baroque: ToExpression["test" <> "\\[" <> "RawBackquote" <> "]" <> "foo"][x] – J. M.♦ May 25 '12 at 7:30
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@J.M. ToExpression[ "test" <> Uncompress["1:eJxTTMoPCmZkYGBIAAAM0wH5"] <> "foo"][x] – rm -rf♦ May 25 '12 at 7:36
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That ain't baroque; that's grotesque. ;) – J. M.♦ May 25 '12 at 7:40
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@J.M. if it ain't baroque, don't fix it! – rcollyer May 25 '12 at 15:22
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ToExpression[ TextRecognize@ Rasterize[ Style[Row[{"test", "\[NegativeVeryThinSpace]", Rotate[",", Pi/2, {0, 1.5}], "f"}], FontSize -> 40]]][x] – Rojo May 25 '12 at 17:10
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