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I need to use a number of functions from theStatistics`Library` namespace. Since that is a bit of a mouthful I would like to import it, but I get errors:

In[42]:= Needs["Statistics`Library`"]

During evaluation of In[42]:= Get::noopen: Cannot open Statistics`Library`. >>

During evaluation of In[42]:= Needs::nocont: Context Statistics`Library` was not created when Needs was evaluated. >>

Out[42]= $Failed

In[43]:= << Statistics`Library`

During evaluation of In[43]:= Get::noopen: Cannot open Statistics`Library`. >>

Out[43]= $Failed

I can use individual functions from the namespace

In[44]:= Statistics`Library`DistributionDimensionality[

NormalDistribution[]]

Out[44]= 1

so the problem is not in the name.

What is the problem then? What is the correct way to do the import?

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  • $\begingroup$ I don't think you can "load" these in that way (could be wrong though), why not just set up some aliases, e.g. ``dd = StatisticsLibraryDistributionDimensionality, then dd[NormalDistribution[]]` does it... $\endgroup$
    – ciao
    Commented Apr 19, 2014 at 23:06
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    $\begingroup$ It's a good idea to give some context for your question and link back to the original thread that prompted this. Statistics`Library` is not a package, so it can't be loaded. (Loading is triggered by the use of some other stats functions.) It is a context (namespace) containing functions meant for internal use: there's no documentation, no guarantee these functions will work properly or that they won't crash your kernel or cause memory leaks, and they're likely to change in future versions. $\endgroup$
    – Szabolcs
    Commented Apr 19, 2014 at 23:26

1 Answer 1

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Statistics`Library` does not correspond directly to a package path, so it cannot be loaded with Get or Needs. Rather, this contents of this context come from

FileNameJoin[{
 $InstallationDirectory, "SystemFiles", "Kernel", "SystemResources", $OperatingSystem,
 "Statistics", "Library.mx"
}]

which is loaded automatically at startup. Loading this file populates the context, but does not add anything to the context path.

It is straightforward to change the context path, however:

AppendTo[$ContextPath, "Statistics`Library`"]

Now:

DistributionDimensionality@NormalDistribution[] (* -> 1 *)
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