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PredefinedSymbol -> SymbolConstant...
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and try to clearify what is up here.
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rocky committed Dec 27, 2022
1 parent 64f42cd commit ae421de
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Showing 2 changed files with 32 additions and 23 deletions.
2 changes: 0 additions & 2 deletions mathics/builtin/makeboxes.py
Original file line number Diff line number Diff line change
Expand Up @@ -5,8 +5,6 @@
Low level Format definitions
"""

from typing import Union

import mpmath

from mathics.builtin.base import Builtin, Predefined
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53 changes: 32 additions & 21 deletions mathics/core/symbols.py
Original file line number Diff line number Diff line change
Expand Up @@ -336,7 +336,7 @@ class Symbol(Atom, NumericOperators, EvalMixin):
All Symbols have a name that can be converted to string.
A Variable Symbol is a ``Symbol``` that is associated with a
A Variable Symbol is a ``Symbol`` that is associated with a
``Definition`` that has an ``OwnValue`` that determines its
evaluation value.
Expand All @@ -348,7 +348,7 @@ class Symbol(Atom, NumericOperators, EvalMixin):
a constant value that cannot change. System`True and System`False
are like this.
These however are in class PredefinedSymbol. See that class for
These however are in class SymbolConstant. See that class for
more information.
Symbol acts like Python's intern() built-in function or Lisp's
Expand Down Expand Up @@ -379,7 +379,7 @@ def __new__(cls, name: str, sympy_dummy=None):
Allocate an object ensuring that for a given ``name`` and ``cls`` we get back the same object,
id(object) is the same and its object.__hash__() is the same.
PredefinedSymbol's like System`True and System`False set
SymbolConstant's like System`True and System`False set
``value`` to something other than ``None``.
"""
Expand Down Expand Up @@ -639,37 +639,48 @@ def to_sympy(self, **kwargs):
return builtin.to_sympy(self, **kwargs)


class PredefinedSymbol(Symbol):
class SymbolConstant(Symbol):
"""
A Predefined Symbol is a Constant Symbol of the Mathics system whose value can't
be changed.
A Symbol Constant is Symbol of the Mathics system whose value can't
be changed and has a corresponding Python representation.
Therefore, like say, an Integer constant, we don't need to go
through Definitions to get its value.
Therefore, like an ``Integer`` constant such as ``Integer0``, we don't
need to go through ``Definitions`` to get its Python-equivalent value.
As we do in numeric constants, a PredefinedSymbols Python-equivalent value not its string name
but to its Python-equivalent value. For example for the predefined System`True we
we can set its value to the Python ``True`` value.
For example for the ``SymbolConstant`` ``System`True``, has its
value set to the Python ``True`` value.
Note this is not the same thing as a Symbolic Constant like ``Pi``,
which doesn't have an (exact) Python equivalent representation.
Also note that ``SymbolConstant`` differs from ``Symbol`` in that
Symbol has no value field (even when its value happens to be
representable in Python. Symbols need to go through Definitions
get a Symbol's current value, based on the current context and the
state of prior operations on that Symbol/Definition binding.
In sum, SymbolConstant is partly like Symbol, and partly like
Numeric constants.
"""

# Dictionary of PredefinedSymbols defined so far.
# Dictionary of SymbolConstants defined so far.
# We use this for object uniqueness.
# The key is the PredefinedSymbol object's name, and the
# The key is the SymbolConstant's value, and the
# diectionary's value is the Mathics object representing that Python value.
_predefined_symbols = {}
_symbol_constants = {}

# We use __new__ here to unsure that two Integer's that have the same value
# return the same object.
def __new__(cls, name, value):

name = ensure_context(name)
self = cls._predefined_symbols.get(name)
self = cls._symbol_constants.get(name)
if self is None:
self = super().__new__(cls, name)
self._value = value

# Cache object so we don't allocate again.
self._predefined_symbols[name] = self
self._symbol_constants[name] = self

# Set a value for self.__hash__() once so that every time
# it is used this is fast. Note that in contrast to the
Expand Down Expand Up @@ -723,10 +734,10 @@ def symbol_set(*symbols: Tuple[Symbol]) -> FrozenSet[Symbol]:

# Symbols used in this module.

# Note, below we are only setting PredefinedSymbol for Symbols which
# Note, below we are only setting SymbolConstant for Symbols which
# are both predefined and have the Locked attribute.

# An experiment using PredefinedSymbol("Pi") in the Python code and
# An experiment using SymbolConstant("Pi") in the Python code and
# running:
# {Pi, Unprotect[Pi];Pi=4; Pi, Pi=.; Pi }
# show that this does not change the output in any way.
Expand All @@ -736,9 +747,9 @@ def symbol_set(*symbols: Tuple[Symbol]) -> FrozenSet[Symbol]:
# more of the below and in systemsymbols
# PredefineSymbol.

SymbolFalse = PredefinedSymbol("System`False", value=False)
SymbolList = PredefinedSymbol("System`List", value=list)
SymbolTrue = PredefinedSymbol("System`True", value=True)
SymbolFalse = SymbolConstant("System`False", value=False)
SymbolList = SymbolConstant("System`List", value=list)
SymbolTrue = SymbolConstant("System`True", value=True)

SymbolAbs = Symbol("Abs")
SymbolDivide = Symbol("Divide")
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