about -- search the documentation

Usage:

about s
Inputs:
- s, a string, a function, a symbol, or a type,
Optional inputs:
- Body => a Boolean value, default value false, whether also to search the bodies of the documentation nodes. By default, just their keys are searched.
Outputs:
- a numbered vertical list, a list of documentation node keys matching the regular expression in the string s, if s is a string. Otherwise the search matches against the name of s as a complete word.

Description

The documentation corresponding to the keys in the list returned can be displayed by applying the function help to it. To see the documentation corresponding to just one or some of the keys, give help an integer or a list of integers to be used as indices in the list returned by the most recent application of about. The functions viewHelp and infoHelp can also be given an integer for viewing the documentation.

The packages searched are the loaded packages and the packages installed under one of the prefixes listed in prefixPath. The first search will take a few seconds while it reads all the documentation keys into memory.

i1 : about firstFunction

o1 = {0 => FirstPackage :: firstFunction    }
     {1 => FirstPackage :: firstFunction(ZZ)}

o1 : NumberedVerticalList

i2 : help 1

o2 = FirstPackage::firstFunction(ZZ) -- a silly first function
     *********************************************************

       * Usage: 
             firstFunction n
       * Inputs:
           * n, an "integer", 
       * Outputs:
           * a "string", a silly string, depending on the value of n

     Here we show an example.

     +------------------------+
     |  i1 : firstFunction 1  |
     |                        |
     |  o1 = Hello World!     |
     +------------------------+
     |  i2 : firstFunction 0  |
     |                        |
     |  o2 = D'oh!            |
     +------------------------+
     ------------------------------------------------------------------------

     The source of this document is in FirstPackage.m2:53:0.

It is also possible to view a table of headlines corresponding to the results.

i3 : headlines about firstFunction

o3 = 0.  "FirstPackage :: firstFunction"       -- a silly first function
     1.  "FirstPackage :: firstFunction(ZZ)"   -- a silly first function

Caveat

Since s is taken as a regular expression, parentheses serve for grouping subexpressions, rather than matching themselves.

Ways to use about:

about(Function)
about(String)
about(Symbol)
about(Type)
about(ScriptedFunctor) (missing documentation)

For the programmer

The object about is a method function with options.

The source of this document is in Macaulay2Doc/functions/help-doc.m2:349:0.

about -- search the documentation

Description

Caveat

See also

Ways to use about:

For the programmer