diff --git a/wolfram.md b/wolfram.md new file mode 100644 index 00000000..4514006d --- /dev/null +++ b/wolfram.md @@ -0,0 +1,137 @@ +--- +language: wolfram +contributors: + - ["hyphz", "http://github.com/hyphz/"] +filename: learnwolfram.nb +--- + +The Wolfram Language is the underlying language originally used in Mathematica, but now available for use in multiple contexts. + +Wolfram Language has several interfaces: +* The command line kernel interface on Raspberry Pi (just called _The Wolfram Language_) which runs interactively and can't produce graphical input. +* _Mathematica_ which is a rich text/maths editor with interactive Wolfram built in: pressing shift+Return on a "code cell" creates an output cell with the result, which is not dynamic +* _Wolfram Workbench_ which is Eclipse interfaced to the Wolfram Language backend + +The code in this example can be typed in to any interface and edited with Wolfram Workbench. Loading directly into Mathematica may be awkward because the file contains no cell formatting information (which would make the file a huge mess to read as text) - it can be viewed/edited but may require some setting up. + +``` +(* This is a comment *) + +(* In Mathematica instead of using these comments you can create a text cell + and annotate your code with nicely typeset text and images *) + +(* Typing an expression returns the result *) +2*2 (* 4 *) +5+8 (* 13 *) + +(* Function Call *) +(* Note, function names (and everything else) are case sensitive *) +Sin[Pi/2] (* 1 *) + +(* Alternate Syntaxes for Function Call with one parameter *) +Sin@(Pi/2) (* 1 *) +(Pi/2) // Sin (* 1 *) + +(* Every syntax in WL has some equivalent as a function call *) +Times[2, 2] (* 4 *) +Plus[5, 8] (* 13 *) + +(* Using a variable for the first time defines it and makes it global *) +x = 5 (* 5 *) +x == 5 (* True, C-style assignment and equality testing *) +x (* 5 *) +x = x + 5 (* 10 *) +x (* 10 *) +Set[x, 20] (* I wasn't kidding when I said EVERYTHING has a function equivalent *) +x (* 20 *) + +(* Because WL is based on a computer algebra system, *) +(* using undefined variables is fine, they just obstruct evaluation *) +cow + 5 (* 5 + cow, cow is undefined so can't evaluate further *) +cow + 5 + 10 (* 15 + cow, it'll evaluate what it can *) +% (* 15 + cow, % fetches the last return *) +% - cow (* 15, undefined variable cow cancelled out *) +moo = cow + 5 (* Beware, moo now holds an expression, not a number! *) + +(* Defining a function *) +Double[x_] := x * 2 (* Note := to prevent immediate evaluation of the RHS + And _ after x to indicate no pattern matching constraints *) +Double[10] (* 20 *) +Double[Sin[Pi/2]] (* 2 *) +Double @ Sin @ (Pi/2) (* 2, @-syntax avoids queues of close brackets *) +(Pi/2) // Sin // Double(* 2, //-syntax lists functions in execution order *) + +(* For imperative-style programming use ; to separate statements *) +(* Discards any output from LHS and runs RHS *) +MyFirst[] := (Print@"Hello"; Print@"World") (* Note outer parens are critical + ;'s precedence is lower than := *) +MyFirst[] (* Hello World *) + +(* C-Style For Loop *) +PrintTo[x_] := For[y=0, y 2, "Red" -> 1|> (* Create an association *) +myHash[["Green"]] (* 2, use it *) +myHash[["Green"]] := 5 (* 5, update it *) +myHash[["Puce"]] := 3.5 (* 3.5, extend it *) +KeyDropFrom[myHash, "Green"] (* Wipes out key Green *) +Keys[myHash] (* {Red} *) +Values[myHash] (* {1} *) + +(* And you can't do any demo of Wolfram without showing this off *) +Manipulate[y^2, {y, 0, 20}] (* Return a reactive user interface that displays y^2 + and allows y to be adjusted between 0-20 with a slider. + Only works on graphical frontends *) +``` + +##Ready For More? + +* [Wolfram Language Documentation Center](http://reference.wolfram.com/language/)