Supplementary Mathematica Help Browser
by Ted Ersek ted.ersek@navy.mil
What you will find here and won't find here
What I try to provide through this resource is additional material to help people get over the Mathematica learning curve. More specifically I try to demonstrate features that are hard to master from the Wolfram Research documentation. I also try to explain nuances that lots of users would otherwise never know about.
This resource isn't intended for people who never used Mathematica and want to start learning how to use it. I suggest that users in that position get a copy of The Mathematica Book and read sections 1.0 through 1.10, sections 2.1 through 2.4 (260 pages of light reading). After that one should read any sections in Part III (Advanced Mathematics in Mathematica) in the same book that are of interest. At that point one should have a working knowledge of Mathematica. One can then use The Mathematica Book, and of course this resource as reference material.
Because I don't intend to teach Mathematica from the ground up, a lot of principles fundamental to Mathematica aren't explained here. I figured there is no need to explain features that are explained very well in The Mathematica Book.
You also won't find discussion of certain features that even I haven't used (ie. working with Files and Streams).
New or revised areas
Alternatives
Apply
Array
Blank (_), BlankSequence (__), BlankNullSequence (___)
Block
Button Programming
ButtonStyle
Cases
Clear, ClearAll, Remove
Coefficient, CoefficientList
Complement
Compile
Condition (Pattn/;Test)
Count
DeleteCases
Default
Distribute
Dot
Evaluate
ExactNumberQ, InexactNumberQ, NumberQ, NumericQ
Flat
Flatten
Fold
FoldList
Format
FreeQ
Function
HoldAll, HoldFirst, HoldRest
HoldAllComplete
HoldForm
HoldPattern
Hyperlinks
Inner
Insert
Level
Level Specification
ListConvolve
ListCorrelate
Map
MapAt
MapIndexed
MapThread
MakeBoxes
MatchQ
MemberQ
Message
NestList
NHoldAll, NHoldFirst, NHoldRest
OneIdentity
Optional (x_^n_.), (x_+y_.), (x_*y_.)
Options, OptionQ
Ordering
Orderless
Outer
Part
Partition
Position
Pattern (x:pattn)
Pattern Test (x_?Positive), (y_Real?Positive)
Random
Rationalize
Range
Repeated (pattn ..), RepeatedNull (pattn ...)
Replace
ReplaceAll, ReplaceRepeated
ReplacePart
RotateRight, RotateLeft
Rule (→) versus RuleDelayed (:→)
Scan
Sequence
SequenceHold
Series
Set (=) versus SetDelayed (:=)
Simplify & FullSimplify
Slot, SlotSequence (#, #n, ##, ##n)
Sort
Split
Subscript (using subscripted symbols)
Remove
TagBox
Table
Thread
Trig option
ToString
Tr
Transpose
Unevaluated
Update
UpValues
Verbatim
$OutputForms
$PreRead, $Pre, $Post, $PrePrint
Clever Little Programs
The Evaluation Process
Where definitions are stored
Subtle points about arithmetic
Lists and Tables of Data
Pattern Matching
Controlling Memory Usage
Tech Support Secrets
Programming for Speed
Slow Kernel Functions
Functions with attributes OneIdentity, Flat, or Orderless
Mathematica Web Pages
Hidden Treasures in the Help Browser
Important Keyboard Shortcuts