# Why isn't Options[] finding all options? [closed]

I've created a plot with 3 non default options. See below. I would like to list these options using the Option[] function. When calling Options on the the plot, it lists a number of options including one that I changed but not including the other two.

In[144]:= Options[
Plot[Sin[x], {x, -3, 3}, PlotStyle -> Dashing[.01],
AxesLabel -> {"mtempx", "mtempy"}, PerformanceGoal -> "Quality"]]

Out[144]= {DisplayFunction -> Identity, AspectRatio -> 1/GoldenRatio,
Axes -> {True, True}, AxesLabel -> {"mtempx", "mtempy"},
AxesOrigin -> {0, 0}, DisplayFunction :> Identity,
Frame -> {{False, False}, {False, False}},
FrameLabel -> {{None, None}, {None, None}},
FrameTicks -> {{Automatic, Automatic}, {Automatic, Automatic}},
GridLines -> {None, None}, GridLinesStyle -> Directive[
GrayLevel[0.5, 0.4]],
Method -> {"DefaultBoundaryStyle" -> Automatic,
"DefaultMeshStyle" -> AbsolutePointSize[6],
"ScalingFunctions" -> None}, PlotRange -> {{-3, 3}, {-1., 1.}},
PlotRangeClipping -> True,
Scaled[0.05]}}, Ticks -> {Automatic, Automatic}}

1. This seems random to me, but I'm sure its not. Can someone explain what is going on?

2. How do I get all options to appear?

3. Better yet, how do I get all options that I changed to appear and none of the other options?

## closed as off-topic by m_goldberg, user9660, MarcoB, Simon Woods, ÖskåDec 29 '15 at 17:22

This question appears to be off-topic. The users who voted to close gave this specific reason:

• "This question arises due to a simple mistake such as a trivial syntax error, incorrect capitalization, spelling mistake, or other typographical error and is unlikely to help any future visitors, or else it is easily found in the documentation." – m_goldberg, Community, MarcoB, Simon Woods, Öskå
If this question can be reworded to fit the rules in the help center, please edit the question.

• You are seeing all the options of the Graphics expression returned by evaluating Plot. – Simon Woods Dec 28 '15 at 21:34
• You just have wrong expectations. In general, you can't see the options you passed to a function, in the result of that function's execution. Why should you? It could be e.g. a number, a list, whatever, leaving no trace of the initial arguments. In the case of Plot, what you get as a result is an expression, interpreted in a special way by the FrontEnd. This is why some of the options you pass, may survive and enter the result. But this is a pure accident - it just so happens in this case. You shouldn't count on this. Reconstructing passed arguments from a result is not possible generally. – Leonid Shifrin Dec 28 '15 at 21:43
• An example is that PlotStyle->Dashing[.01] gets placed in a directive Directive[Opacity[1.], RGBColor[0.368417, 0.506779, 0.709798], AbsoluteThickness[1.6], Dashing[0.01]] – Jack LaVigne Dec 29 '15 at 0:22
• I didn't realize this. A very informative answer. Thank you. – Michael McCain Dec 29 '15 at 1:06