Command -- the class of all commands

Synopsis

Usage:
Command g
Inputs:
- g, a function or a string
Outputs:
- a new command that will evaluate g() if g is a function, and will evaluate run g if g is a string

Description

A command behaves as a function does if it is followed by an adjacent expression which can serve as its argument or argument list. In addition, if it appears as the value of an expression typed by the user at top level (i.e., not in a file), then it gets executed with empty argument list.

i1 : (f = Command ( () -> 2^30 );)

i2 : f

o2 = 1073741824

i3 : (c = Command "date";)

i4 : c
Fri Jul 14 23:48:07 CDT 2006

o4 = 0

Functions and methods returning a command :

new Command from Function -- missing documentation
new Command from String -- missing documentation

Methods that use a command :

Command Thing
methods(Command), see methods -- list methods
Command \\ Thing, see Thing // Function -- apply a function
Thing // Command, see Thing // Function -- apply a function
Command \ Tally, see VisibleList / Function -- apply a function to elements of a list
Command \ VisibleList, see VisibleList / Function -- apply a function to elements of a list
List / Command, see VisibleList / Function -- apply a function to elements of a list
Tally / Command, see VisibleList / Function -- apply a function to elements of a list
VisibleList / Command, see VisibleList / Function -- apply a function to elements of a list

Fixed objects of class Command :

clearAll -- forget everything
clearOutput -- forget output values
edit -- edit source code
exit -- exit the program
help -- help command
listLocalSymbols -- compact display of symbols and their values
listUserSymbols -- display the user's symbols
profileSummary -- display profiling data
quit -- quit the program
restart -- restart Macaulay 2
showClassStructure -- show relationship between things
showStructure -- show relationship between types
showUserStructure -- show relationship between types defined by user
viewHelp -- view online doc with a web browser

For the programmer

The object Command is a self initializing type, with ancestor classes BasicList < Thing.