Why do syntax errors make a 8.` run through $PreRead in a TagBox?

Question

Modified code from the help file on $Pre:

$PreRead =.

SetAttributes[saveinputs, HoldAll];
inputs = {};
saveinputs[new_] := (inputs = {inputs, HoldForm[new]}; new);
$PreRead = saveinputs;

Evaluating:

<>

then

Flatten[inputs]

{<>,8.,RowBox[{Flatten,[,inputs,]}]}

If you look at the Cell Expression for the 8. it is actually a TagBox

TagBox["8.`", HoldForm]

Why does a syntax error cause this?

Example where this causes a problem in code:

$PreRead =.

SetAttributes[saveinputs, HoldAll];
inputs = {};
saveinputs[new_] := (inputs = {inputs, HoldForm[new]};
  If[Unevaluated[new],
   new,
   new);
$PreRead = saveinputs;

When evaluating pretty much anything you get:

ToExpression::esntx: Could not parse 8.` as Mathematica input.

If the test clause of the if statement in the above code does not depend on new then it runs fine.

$PreRead =.

SetAttributes[saveinputs, HoldAll];
inputs = {};
saveinputs[new_] := (inputs = {inputs, HoldForm[new]};
  If[True,
   new,
   new);
$PreRead = saveinputs;

The above works fine.

How am I changing new in the test clause to cause this to fail?

Answer 1

"How am I changing new in the test clause to cause this to fail?"

With three arguments, If[condition,t,f], If remains unevaluated, i.e., it returns If[condition,t,f], if the condition is neither True nor False.

Using the four-arguments form, If[condition,t,f,u] gives u if condition evaluates to neither True nor False as in your case with Unevaluated[new] as the test clause.

So if you change your code to

$PreRead =.

SetAttributes[saveinputs, HoldAll];
inputs = {};
saveinputs[new_] := (inputs = {inputs, HoldForm[new]};If[whatever, new, new, new]);
$PreRead = saveinputs;

it works like the example in the docs.