[Axiom-developer] [#191 exquo and therefore gcd cannot handle UP(x, EXPR INT)] MathAction playing tricks

[Bill Page]

Changes 
http://page.axiom-developer.org/zope/mathaction/191ExquoAndThereforeGcdCannotHandleUPXEXPRINT/diff
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William Sit wrote:

> When I edit, the entire page is re-rendered and hence the answer
> is the correct answer (not 1), but when I reply, a new instance
> of Axiom is started.

That is essentially correct. It is a limitation of MathAction.

In fact, in both cases a new Axiom session is started when you
click 'Save'. Axiom starts, computes some output and then stops.
The output is converted to a web page (rendered) and the resulting
web page is saved. But the state of the calculation in Axiom is
not saved.

As you say, the difference is that when you use 'edit' and then
'Save', all of the commands on the whole page are executed by
Axiom and the entire page is re-rendered. But when you simply
use 'Add comment', only the commands contained in that comment
are executed by Axiom, nothing else. The additional comment is
rendered and then added to the bottom of the existing page.

'Preview' does the same except the result is not saved.

This means that the commands contained in the comment will not
refer to any previously computed values on the same page until
the whole page is re-calculated, either by a subsequent 'edit'
and 'Save' or by clicking 'refresh' (see right side above comment
box).

> Mathaction should give a warning

Maybe we should add something to the comment box such as:

<em>Click _refresh_ after 'Save' if comments refer to
previous results.</em>

Or can you suggest another way to say this in a brief but
clear manner?
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forwarded from http://page.axiom-developer.org/zope/mathaction/address@hidden