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I want to make and use object like stuff of Object-Oriented Programming language(like JavaScript) in Mathematica and am trying it by referring to the answer of this question using Module.

For example, I want to make an object(Module) which has the following properties and Methods:

Properties:

  • a : 2 (integer)
  • b : 4^a
  • f : func[a], with func: function which just returns an argument doing nothing else. (func : x -> x)
  • c = 4^f

Methods:

  • showA: returns a
  • showB: returns b
  • showC: returns c

I wrote a code below, but the result was not what I had expected:

In[529]:= func[x_] := (
  Return[x]
  )

foo = Module[
   {
    a = 2,
    b = 4^a,
    f = func[a],
    c = 4^f
    },
   Switch[#,
     "showA", a,
     "showB", b,
     "showC", c
     ]
    &];
foo["showA"]
foo["showB"]
foo["showC"]

Out[531]= 2

Out[532]= 1048576 //expected output: 16

Out[533]= 4^f //expected output :16

What is wrong? If it is impossible to do, what is the alternative simplest way to achieve this?

Any information would be appreciated.

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  • 3
    $\begingroup$ the bound variables in module can't refer to each other within the first argument; so, Module[{a = 3, b = 4 a}, f[a,b]] would give f[3, 4a], because the a on the rhs of b = 4 a is not the "module version" of a, but the external a. (You can notice this from the syntax highlighting—it's blue, not green.) $\endgroup$
    – thorimur
    May 12, 2021 at 5:28
  • 1
    $\begingroup$ Also, i'm not sure func[x_] := (Return[x]) means what you might think it means! Return is only used for control flow changes in mathematica, like breaking out of For loops or sequential evaluation (;). You'll still get the expected output from func in this case, but you may as well use func[x_] := x. $\endgroup$
    – thorimur
    May 12, 2021 at 5:34
  • $\begingroup$ Thank you. I didn't know {} inside Module refers only to external variables. $\endgroup$
    – ten
    May 12, 2021 at 7:47
  • $\begingroup$ The reason I used Return instead of writing func[x_] := x is just I wanted to know whether it works as a "return" keyword of other ordinary programming languages. The function I need in my actual project requires much more to do than func[x_] := x (including For loop calculation) and I thought I needed to use Return for returning the result. $\endgroup$
    – ten
    May 12, 2021 at 7:58

1 Answer 1

Reset to default
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The code below is the most minimal re-writing of the OP that I could come up with

func[x_] := x
foo = Module[{a = 2},
   b = 4^a;
   f = func[a];
   c = 4^f;
   Switch[#, "showA", a, "showB", b, "showC", c] &];
foo["showA"]
foo["showB"]
foo["showC"]

and gives the following as output

2
16
16

Is this what you were looking for?

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4
  • $\begingroup$ Thank you. It worked. I didn't know {} inside Module refers only to external variables. $\endgroup$
    – ten
    May 12, 2021 at 8:11
  • 2
    $\begingroup$ But b, f, & c are now global. I would declare them in the module header, but assign values in the body. $\endgroup$
    – mikado
    May 12, 2021 at 8:11
  • $\begingroup$ sorry, maybe I misunderstood what you meant earlier. Just to be clear, do you need all variables to be defined in the Module? $\endgroup$
    – a_User_with_No_namE
    May 12, 2021 at 8:20
  • $\begingroup$ Yes, it is preferable to trap variables in the Module for not coming upto global scope. $\endgroup$
    – ten
    May 15, 2021 at 0:40

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