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One more question for today: I'm trying to show two random integers with a plus (+) sign between them, in an unevaluated form. I know how Hold and HoldForm work, but they hold everything, including the RandomInteger:

Hold[RandomInteger[100] + RandomInteger[100]]

I've tried then Evaluate before RandomInteger, but that doesn't seem to do the trick.

Any help with this? Very much appreciated, as always!

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    $\begingroup$ This is a straight-forward case for the Trott-Strzebonski technique, discussed e.g. here. Apply this rule to your expression: r_RandomInteger :> With[{eval = r}, eval /; True]. The reason Evaluate does not help is that it is too deep for it. $\endgroup$
    – Leonid Shifrin
    Sep 5, 2013 at 17:41

4 Answers 4

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HoldForm[#1 + #2]&[RandomInteger[100], RandomInteger[100]]
 (* 77 + 84 *)
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  • $\begingroup$ +1 but see my answer too for my personal variation $\endgroup$
    – Mr.Wizard
    Sep 6, 2013 at 17:21
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I propose:

HoldForm[+##] & @@ RandomInteger[100, 2]
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  • $\begingroup$ The form +## rates highly on my weirdo meter. Weirdo. BTW, +1. :) $\endgroup$
    – rcollyer
    Sep 6, 2013 at 17:16
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    $\begingroup$ @rcollyer Yes, it's a favorite of mine, thank-you-very-much. :D $\endgroup$
    – Mr.Wizard
    Sep 6, 2013 at 17:21
  • $\begingroup$ Great! Your solution is very compact and can be generalized to any numbers of terms, +1 :) $\endgroup$
    – ybeltukov
    Sep 6, 2013 at 17:33
  • $\begingroup$ @ybeltukov I'm glad you appreciate it. Thanks for the vote. $\endgroup$
    – Mr.Wizard
    Sep 6, 2013 at 17:37
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    $\begingroup$ @Blackbird It is not directly documented that I know of, but it comes from an understanding of Mathematica's parsing. +x parses as Plus[x] as can be seen with Hold[+x] // FullForm. So +## is Plus[##] and then it's just a matter of SlotSequence which is directly documented. As a second example 1 x parses as Times[1, x] so we can use 1 ## as shorthand for multiplying arguments. $\endgroup$
    – Mr.Wizard
    Sep 6, 2013 at 18:22
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This way you can hold it too,

Hold[Plus[a, b]] /. {a -> RandomInteger[100], b -> RandomInteger[100]}

Hold[91 + 4]

HoldForm[Plus[a, b]] /. {a -> RandomInteger[100], 
  b -> RandomInteger[100]}

87+22

Read the difference between Hold and HoldForm to know they are very close.

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    $\begingroup$ This is a nice place to show the difference between Rule and RuleDelayed. $\endgroup$
    – rcollyer
    Sep 6, 2013 at 17:15
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Late to this party, but here's a nice trick that surprisingly works:

Composition[HoldForm, Plus] @@ RandomInteger[100, 2]

OR

Composition[HoldForm, Plus] @@ {RandomInteger[100], RandomInteger[100]}
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