--- Harry Kanda wrote:
> Hi guys,
>
> I'm planning on writing some documentation for maxima programming
> the kind of things to expect, simple concepts about programming for
> mathematicians.
Cool!
> Having had to use it this summer for a project (STACK), i feel that
> maxima could do with some newbie documentation. So, all i'm asking is
> what kind of things do you guys want to see in it?
Ah, where to begin...
I was and am planning something similar to be part of Maximabook. Here
are my notes thus far about what would be good (undoubtedly more
experienced folk can make better suggestions):
Programming in Maxima Language:
1. block
2. local variables within block
3. for do, if then, while do
4: trick of using apply when you want to evaluate both arguments
5: other stuff in current programming chapter of Maximabook (not well
integrated yet - need to read section on functions with arbitrary
number of args myself!)
Programming Maxima in Lisp
1. :lisp();
2. ?print, other uses of ?
3. to_lisp();, (to-maxima)
4. mapping of the Maxima variable a to the lisp variable $a
5. maximafunction -> ($maximafunction )
6. comprehensive listing of, and careful and thorough description of
the purpose and behavior of, normal lisp tools and special macros
common in Maxima. For starters (there are many more):
defmfun
defmvar
defmspec
7. kill and kill1 - customization thereof
8. Discuss this technique for redefining things in Maxima:
http://www.math.utexas.edu/pipermail/maxima/2005/010387.html
9. Using ($displa ) on the lisp command line
10. Accessing %i1 and %o1 from lisp command line
Debugging
1. Using ?print to inspect the underlying lisp form of an expression
(can sometimes reveal differences between apparently identical
expressions)
2. Maxima's debugging environment
3. the Maxima level trace command and lisp's own trace - when to use
each.
4. SLIME+CMUCL+XREF+Maxima, as per earlier discussions
> Also if you have any other suggestions feel free to give me a shout.
Perhaps you would consider contributing such a guide to the Maxima
book? (Assuming I get organized enough here to get back on the ball?)
Cheers,
CY
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