# How can I extract Information from a symbol?

I have defined usage statements for a few symbols, e.g., foo::usage="This is how to use foo";

If I type ? foo or Information[foo], I get in return a nicely formated cell with the string information. However, the command returns Null:

t = Information[foo];
FullForm[t]


My question: How can I get the usage statement and store it in a new variables? I could of course do foo::usage, but let's say I have a list of symbols, lst = {foo, fii};, how could I map #::usage  to all these symbols?

• t=foo::usage huh? Jan 13 at 17:54
• Sorry, didn't read it to the end. (#::"usage")&/@lst should work. Jan 13 at 17:56
• Quite surprisingly, this do work! Thanks! Jan 13 at 18:11
• I would prefer explicitly using MessageName[] for this: MessageName[#, "usage"] & /@ {General, Sin}. Jan 13 at 22:50
• Salut @J. M., indeed, I came to this same solution. Would you want to turn your comment into an anwer? Jan 14 at 21:55

 var = Information[foo]["Usage"]

• This does not work for me. Mathematica v. 10.0. I get in return Null[Usage] Jan 13 at 18:09