Questions tagged [optional-arguments]
Tag for questions about using optional arguments in Mathematica functions.
81
questions
10
votes
2answers
726 views
Define function that behaves almost identically to Mathematica function
Often I like to define my own functions that are almost exactly the same as Mathematica defined functions, apart from a few tweaks. See this question for example. I want to define them properly so ...
5
votes
1answer
82 views
Why is { } interpreted as an option in my function? [closed]
I don't understand the output from:
...
0
votes
0answers
46 views
Optional argument in Set Function [duplicate]
Optional arguments can be defined in SetDelayed (:=) Functions (see f1 below and here and here). However, how can one accomplish this in Set (=) Functions (see f2 and f3 below)?
...
2
votes
1answer
47 views
OptionValue and OptionPattern not Changing Values
I am trying to produce a function with a few sets of arguments, one of which can accept options. However it doesn't seem to be responding to the changes that I accept.
...
0
votes
0answers
25 views
Method option of function MatrixRank
By running ??MatrixRank, I see that it has an optional argument named Method.
However, this argument is not in the ...
5
votes
0answers
75 views
OptionsPattern[] Vs. opt___ [closed]
Since version 6 I've been dutifully using OptionsPattern[] instead of the original opts___ for passing options to functions.
I ...
8
votes
2answers
392 views
Are Mathematica commands always supposed to check that Method -> name is valid?
When calling a Mathematica command which accepts a Method -> name option, I always thought that if the name given is not a ...
0
votes
1answer
350 views
Set absolute size of Axis or frame for a plot
I have to publish some work and it requires to meet specific criteria for the image size and plot size. 1) the Area of the figure must be fix 2) the width of the x-axis also must be fix for any plot ...
2
votes
0answers
30 views
Scoping of OptionValue for inner functions in closures
Assume a function f is a closure over an inner function g. Both f and ...
4
votes
2answers
84 views
How to prevent an Optional parameter from taking an OptionsPattern parameter without multiple function definitions? [duplicate]
I have function the needs to enable some Optional parameters and an OptionsPattern. The issue I am facing is that the options ...
3
votes
1answer
49 views
Using other functions' replacement rules
I have a module that uses some default options for NDSolve like so
...
1
vote
1answer
39 views
Why doesn't OptionValue cooperate with Map? [duplicate]
Consider the following definition:
Options[f] = {a -> 1, b -> 2}
f[x_,OptionsPattern[]] := {x,OptionValue/@{a,b}}
I thought that doing something like ...
9
votes
1answer
101 views
Except @ OptionsPattern[] affects OptionValue
The background
This example works as expected, small function with a special case rule:
...
-1
votes
3answers
83 views
OptionsPattern Confusion
I want to use the whole options pattern as the argument for HTTPRequest's "Query" parameter, but I'm not sure how to use them. When I run the following code:
...
5
votes
1answer
145 views
What is the difference between the second argument of ToString and its option FormatType?
Is there any real difference between ToString[expr, form] and ToString[expr, FormatType→form]?
In all my examples, they seem to ...
1
vote
0answers
47 views
What is the best way to pass on options? [duplicate]
Say I have two functions which take the same set of options, e.g.
Options[f1] = {a -> 1};
Options[f2] = {a -> 1};
Now, ...
4
votes
2answers
138 views
How to define an option or an argument whose values are confined
I want to define a function whose arguments or options can only be selected in a range. For example:
...
5
votes
0answers
53 views
1
vote
0answers
60 views
Automatic is not always the default option
Contrary to what one might expect, specifying an option to be Automatic sometimes changes the output. For example, by default ...
8
votes
1answer
534 views
2
votes
2answers
199 views
Anonymous Function And Optional Arguments [duplicate]
Is there a way to get an optional arguments to work in an anonymous function.
Function[{Optional@a},If[a,True,False]]
3
votes
2answers
62 views
How to define a function with an optional value related to the arguments?
It's known that we can easily define a function with optional value which is not related with other arguments, but my question is how can I define a function with an optional value which is really ...
12
votes
4answers
600 views
Optional argument that can be completely omitted?
I am writing a simple function return similar words.
Clear[similarWords]
similarWords[string_]:=Nearest[WordList[],string]
I want to add another argument ...
6
votes
0answers
97 views
Examples of the single dot form of Optional?
I've known of the single dot form of Optional for a while, but never had occasion to actually use it:
Are there any good examples of use cases for it other than in relation to ...
2
votes
0answers
106 views
How to create a function with option that shows dropdownlist like ( for example ) Manipulate with ControlPlacement? [duplicate]
Consider the Mathematica function Manipulate where you assign the placement of the controls with the option parameter ...
14
votes
1answer
210 views
Pattern matching with List and Optional
Bug introduced in 8.0.4 or earlier and persists through 11.1.1
Thank you for bringing this to our attention. I have filed a report with our developers.
Why does this
...
2
votes
1answer
68 views
Is this the correct method for using optional arguments?
I've read this page but I'm still kind of confused about something. Here's a simple example function, where it simply plots a function. If you give it the ImageSize option, it should use that, but ...
7
votes
2answers
95 views
How to write a `HeldOptional` variant of `Optional` that does not evaluate its second argument?
How to specify optional arguments that take functional values made me wonder: Can we come up with a variant of Optional that allows to do the following:
...
5
votes
3answers
644 views
6
votes
2answers
435 views
How to make a customized plot function that can plot functions with optional parameter?
Suppose I make the following function to plot contour lines for a complex function:
...
3
votes
1answer
85 views
How to speed up accidental large output?
From time to time I accidentally let large expressions like RandomReal[1., {10^5, 10, 10}] reach the front end. The computation of the result is quite fast (...
9
votes
1answer
220 views
Why is this syntax for patterns with Optional values not supported?
I want to express Optional[PatternTest[Pattern[a,Blank[]],t],1] concisely.
a : _?t : 1 is not quite this but works: ...
0
votes
0answers
37 views
How to use OptionValue inside a pure function [duplicate]
I want to define a function with OptionsPattern as argument which returns a pure function using OptionValue:
...
0
votes
1answer
442 views
How to pass arguments in NIntegrate and NDSolve
I am solving PDEs with NDSolve and NIntegrate, but I do not know how to pass arguments correctly. My orignial code is very ...
1
vote
1answer
91 views
User-defined density plotting function with a functional argument: extracting variables from the function and plotting in a circular region
I would like to customize the function DensityPlot and use it in a package as a function called MyDensityPlot:
The functions ...
2
votes
1answer
96 views
Evaluation of FilterRules inside a Module
I'm trying to customize a plot function according to this code
...
2
votes
1answer
110 views
26
votes
2answers
472 views
Version inconsistency with optional arguments: what if the default value doesn't match the pattern?
I just came across some weird behaviour. Take this function definition:
ClearAll[f]
f[vs_List : All] := "match"
The default value of ...
5
votes
1answer
102 views
An unexpected match when using Condition, Optional and passing a Sequence
Mathematica is behaving in an expected way when passing a parameter with an Optional and a Sequence. Here is an example:
...
9
votes
4answers
114 views
How to add Optional Sequence
Note: This question could be a duplicate but I couldn't find any so far.
It is known that Optional (:) can be use to represent expression if omitted.
...
12
votes
2answers
230 views
Optional throws error when called from a package. Workaround?
Bug introduced in 8.0 or earlier and fixed in 11.0.0
Case number: 305932.
In the front-end notebook (Mathematica 9.0 and 10.2):
g[x: Optional[_,default]]:=x;
...
5
votes
1answer
119 views
SyntaxInformation and Options
I wonder if the following behaviour of SyntaxInformation is a bug: I want a function f to accept one argument and options, so I ...
8
votes
2answers
254 views
Option inheritance: setting new defaults and private context
I'm having issues with inherited options for functions I defined in a package file. Setting new default options doesn't quite work as I expect. Also, a function which I'd like to stay private to the ...
2
votes
1answer
67 views
Determining Automatic Parameters used by Mathematica [duplicate]
When you use plotting functions like ContourPlot3D, there are lots of parameters that are left as Automatic if you do not ...
18
votes
4answers
552 views
Skipping “middle” Optional Arguments
Is there a way to call a function where the "middle" arguments should use their default value while specifying values for the "right-most" arguments? For example, given this function:
...
2
votes
0answers
74 views
Documentation on the attribute OneIdentity [duplicate]
The documentation on the attribute OneIdentity says
OneIdentity is an attribute that can be assigned to a symbol f to ...
2
votes
2answers
130 views
Plot does not take range with OptionValue and PlotRange option
I am making a function that is to use Show to overlay a few plots of a function. I want the first Plot in ...
15
votes
1answer
379 views
Confused by the opts : OptionsPattern[ ] pattern
I'm trying to make sense of the syntax in the clause opts:OptionsPattern[], as found in this standard "rule-based" (pseudo-)function definition pattern:
...
7
votes
2answers
392 views
Optional arguments with lists as function parameter
I'm developing a function f which should support optional arguments {x_, y_} in list form. A simple example looks like this:
<...
2
votes
1answer
121 views
Is there a shorthand for Optional with Condition?
I have a recursive function that does some work to an object for a repeatedamount of times.
...
