What command should I use if I want to convert a string to the contents of a variable with the same name as the contents of that string withing a function. ToExpression[] doesn't seem to do it.
func[var_String]:=Module[{var1,var2},var1="some words";var2="other words";ToExpression[var]]
func["var1"]
var1
I want the outcome in this example to be "some words".
What you need is Block instead of Module. It changes the extent to which the variables are localized.
func[var_String] := Block[{var1, var2},var1="some words";var2="other words";ToExpression[var]];
func["var1"]
(*Out[2]="some words"*)
Module did not work by evaluating this: Clear[func]; func[var_String] := Module[{var1, var2}, Print[{var1, var2}]; ToExpression[var]]; func["var1"]
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Commented
Jul 23, 2014 at 20:02
Block instead 'Module' makes it really clear what the difference is between them, more than reading about lexical versus dynamic scoping.
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Symbol does the same job as ToExpression here.
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Commented
Aug 8, 2016 at 7:16
Another approach
Clear[func]
func[var_String] := Switch[var,
"var1", "some words",
"var2", "other words"];
{func["var1"], func["var2"]}
(* {"some words", "other words"} *)
"a very big deal"for me (V9.0.1, Mac). $\endgroup$