Using Packages - Maple Help

Using Packages

Long and Short Form Calling Sequences

 Each command in a package and subpackage can be accessed by using either the long form or the short form of the command name in the command calling sequence.

Long Form

 • The commands in a package can always be accessed by using the long form of the command name in the command calling sequence.
 For example, in the CurveFitting package, use the following long-form calling sequence to compute an interpolating polynomial.
 CurveFitting:-PolynomialInterpolation(arguments)
 In the Student:-LinearAlgebra subpackage, use the following long-form calling sequence to compute the rank of a Matrix A.
 Student:-LinearAlgebra:-Rank(A)
 • The long form of the command name is necessary if:
 - All of the package command short forms have not been previously defined by using with(PackageName), or
 - The short form of the command has not been previously defined by using the with command, with(PackageName, command).
 Additionally, if another object in the current Maple session has the same name as a command in the PackageName package, the PackageName command can be accessed using PackageName:-command(arguments).

Short Form

 • The short form of a particular PackageName command can be used during the current Maple session after with(PackageName, command) has been entered. To use the short form of all the PackageName command names during the current Maple session, enter the with(PackageName) command first.
 For example, use the following short-form calling sequence to compute an interpolating polynomial (assuming with(CurveFitting) has already been entered).
 PolynomialInterpolation(arguments)
 Use the following short-form calling sequence to compute the rank of a Matrix A (assuming with(Student:-LinearAlgebra) has already been entered).
 Rank(A)
 • To see a list of the packages in the current Maple session for which the short form command names are available, use the packages() command. For an index of all packages in Maple, see index/package. For more information on using with, see with.

Module Members

 For modern packages, the underlying implementation of a package is a module. The notation :- (colondash) is called "module notation". It is always possible to use the form PackageName:-command to access a command from the package.  Since the $:-$ notation never evaluates its right-hand side, it is never necessary to use unevaluation quotes in this form. This notation is recommended for accessing PackageName commands from within any program you might write so that it executes as you expect in all contexts. For more information, see module.

Table-Based Packages

 While modern packages are implemented as modules, some older packages are implemented as tables or procedures.  These packages are listed here:

 For these packages, :- notation is not supported.  The long form notation for such packages is PackageName[command](arguments).  If another object in the current Maple session has the same name as a command in the PackageName package, the PackageName command can be accessed by using unevaluation quotes as PackageName['command'](arguments).

Getting Help with a Command in a Package

 • Display the help page for a particular PackageName command by searching the Maple help system for one of the following (where command is a name chosen from the PackageName command list).
 PackageName:-command
 PackageName[command]
 PackageName,command
 command (in the case where command is a unique name in Maple)
 • For a command in a package, the help page displays the package name in gray at the top of the page, followed by the command name.
 • To quickly access the package overview page from the package command page, use the Parent help topic icon ( ) in the Help System Toolbar.