CAS command question

[DrD]

(01-04-2017 07:07 AM)parisse Wrote:  It may look like conter-intuitive, but once you know that, your programmer task will be easier, because you won't have to handle < or <= or binary - or /

Personally, I think that it is counter-intuitive, and that it is not easier as a programmer. My reasoning is that, intuitively, a programmer expects the left() command to always return the left side of an expression, ditto, the right().

For example, I recently created a routine to strip coefficients from an expression, needed for a coefficient matrix. A list of expressions, represented as string objects, was provided. The coeff() command was used, which required the expressions be separated into their left and right components. Counter-intuitively, this routine did not work when the inequality signs reversed. Worse than that, one might choose the wrong side command, during program testing, IF there were only "<" elements in the provided list used for input. This would typically be the case for optimality maximizing, as an example. The reason would be that the left() command would return the right side!

I hope other users will weigh in on this topic, since Parisse and I disagree on this; but who am I to effect change? This is the reason for my initial post, and could serve as an example of how user consensus might work for future improvements/enhancements for this product.

Please respond, letting us know the pros and cons from your own perspective!

-Dale-