New Version: 2014.1203

[DrD]

(12-03-2014 09:56 PM)Han Wrote:  [quote='DrD' pid='22329' dateline='1417640584']
I'm not disagreeing -- just suggesting that we use restart without the ()'s to clear the variables. I just type it out.

Edit: So are you still seeing CAS variables even after using restart -- without parentheses?

There are [possibly] two problems: Documentation, and [possibly] inconsistent operation. The documentation problem is self-evident. Inconsistent is the manner in which the function is called vs. what gets cleared.

Virtual Calc Example:
Home view: a:=5; restart; a ---> 5 (not cleared)
Home view: a:=5; restart(); a ---> 5 (not cleared, no error)

CAS view restart; a ---> 5 (a from above, not cleared)
CAS view restart(); (a from above, Error pop up)
CAS view A:=4; restart; ---> 4 (not cleared)
CAS view a:=6; restart; ---> 6 (reused Home var a as CAS var, not cleared)

Variables created in Home view are not cleared when restart is used in CAS view.
Variables created in Home view, reused as CAS vars, are not cleared on restart command.

CAS view z:=10; restart; ---> [z] (NEW CAS var IS cleared)

User Guide documentation (Functions and commands):

"restart Purges all the variables. restart(NULL)"

If variables are unique to CAS view, restart, and restart(<single alphanumeric char>) will clear them. Using the described User Guide example restart() issues an error pop up.

On-device help documentation, the syntax given fails, the example fails, selecting the example [OK] fails. All use the wrong syntax. It does properly say that all CAS vars will be purged, (and CAS settings).

Clearly, the documentation does not match the restart, restart() command, which is the biggest issue for this topic. Perhaps a re-used Home var in CAS, since it isn't uniquely a CAS var, shouldn't be purged, (possibly leading to confusion), but may be reasonable. That inconsistency, will need to be overcome by experience, I guess.

I think the above summary is complete, but it seems that sometimes restart does the job, and other times I needed to use restart(x). I adopted the restart(x), since it seemed more dependable. My need arose when working with a several gradient problems, each using several CAS variables. At each conclusion, I used restart(x) to 'clear the slate' and begin anew.