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+--- Forum: HP Prime (/forum-5.html)
+--- Thread: Single Quotes (/thread-2321.html)
Single Quotes - PANAMATIK - 10-21-2014 08:44 PM
I tried to understand the functionality of the single quotes, which are printed on the parenthesis key. I could not find them mentioned in the manual anywhere, I searched in the english and the german manual with several keywords like "Anführungszeichen" or Hyphen etc., and I didnt find a way to point the integrated help to it. Can anybody explain when they must be used and what they are normally used for?
Thanks
RE: Single Quotes - Helge Gabert - 10-21-2014 09:31 PM
Look under QUOTE (catalog help).
The quotes are used to return an expression unevaluated - - useful if you would like to store, say, an algebraic expression (as is) in some variable and use it later (e.g., in a program).
RE: Single Quotes - Marcus von Cube - 10-21-2014 09:31 PM
(10-21-2014 08:44 PM)PANAMATIK Wrote: Can anybody explain when they must be used and what they are normally used for?
In RPN mode the quotes enclose an algebraic expression. This is essentially the same as in the RPL calculators (starting with the HP 28C, up to the HP 50g).
RE: Single Quotes - Tim Wessman - 10-21-2014 09:39 PM
Basically, due to the sparseness of the RPN documentation at the moment you probably didn't find it and that is not your fault! :-(
RE: Single Quotes - Han - 10-22-2014 03:29 AM
(10-21-2014 09:31 PM)Helge Gabert Wrote: Look under QUOTE (catalog help).
The quotes are used to return an expression unevaluated - - useful if you would like to store, say, an algebraic expression (as is) in some variable and use it later (e.g., in a program).
As already mentioned, they are used to denote algebraic objects which you do not wish to be evaluated. Within a program, it's a means to pass functions as arguments.
RE: Single Quotes - PANAMATIK - 10-22-2014 04:32 PM
Thank you for your help.
Now I found the Quotes topic also in the help Tree: "Single quotes are used to enter algebraic expressions."
The behaviour differs between entry modes:
In Home RPN or Algebraic mode I can "Enter" an expression like '4/5' as expected. The quotes were displayed in middle position between 4 and 5.
Home Textbook however shows the left quote above the 4 and the right quote in middle position and shows "Syntax error"
In CAS (when Home Textbook or RPN is active) both quotes were shown like in Home Textbook, but I get the error message: (('4)/5)'
In CAS (when Home Algebraic is active) again it works as expected.
I didn't know that CAS Entry differs depending on Home settings!
For me it is difficult to understand all the rules behind this behaviour.
Thanks a lot. I'm trying to understand more and more of this very ambitious calculator.
By the way, whenever an Error dialog is shown, I always want to touch the big red cross to quit the dialog, instead of using the OK button. Perhaps because Dialogs in Windows, Linux etc. always contain the OK button within the dialog, and we are used to click inside.
When using Parenthesis or quotes, sometimes I want to insert them after having already entered an expression to enclose the whole expression belatedly. The best way I found to do this, is invoking the Chars menu two times instead of pressing the Quotes key twice and delete two quotes. Obviously the Prime cannot know whether I want enter a new enclosed expression or enclose the already present expression.
In contrast to PC applications, which are mostly overkilled with thousands of functions, accessible in different ways, by menus, tool bars, right clicks, often through a network of nested menu levels, the calculators user interface should be easy and clearly understandable. I would like to see, that in the domain of calculators, especially the high class ones, the developers should not forget to give us a User interface, that is most compact, well behaved and clearly understandable, and does not end up in PC like tangle.
Again, in my opinion the Prime is a very ambitious calculator.
Thanks
RE: Single Quotes - Tim Wessman - 10-22-2014 04:49 PM
The problem basically boils down to "is ' a function for derivative, or is it the traditional HP usage of quoting an object" ?