Function Name Info Demonstration Attempt

[BenT]

Consider the following [Version 7] code which works except that the
output is not _completely_ contained within the Manipulate "box". Can
anyone suggest how to correct this?

Manipulate[ToExpression["??" <> f],
{{f, "Pi", "function info"}, b},
Initialization :> {
a = Append[CharacterRange["A", "Z"], "$"];
b = Flatten[Names["System`" <> # <> "*"] & /@ a, Infinity];
}
]

--- Benjamin Tubb

[Albert Retey]

Hi,

Information prints its information as a side effect, I don't think there
is an easy way to redirect this to the Manipulate box. But the following
constructs the information that Information displays from some building
blocks:

Manipulate[
Column[{
Framed[
Row[{
Style[ToExpression[f <> "::usage"], "MSG"],
Hyperlink[Style["\[RightSkeleton]", "SR"], "paclet:ref/" <> f]
}],
Background -> LightYellow, FrameStyle -> Orange
],
Spacer[5],
Definition[Evaluate[f]]

}],
{{f, "Pi", "function info"}, b},
Initialization :> {
a = Append[CharacterRange["A", "Z"], "$"];
b = Flatten[Names["System`" <> # <> "*"] & /@ a, Infinity];
}
]

of course you can spend hours to improve the formatting :-)

hth,

albert

[dh]

Hi Ben,

Information (??) prints its output as a side effect and returns nothing

(Null). Therefore, you can not manipulate its output in a Manipulate

statement.

I tried to capture the info redirecting the output channels: $Output,

but Information seems to be printing without using the output channels.

Daniel