5 Functions

returns the name of a function. For operations, this is the name used in their declaration. For functions, this is the variable name they were first assigned to. (For some internal functions, this might be a name different from the name that is documented.) If no such name exists, "unknown" is returned.

gap> NameFunction(SylowSubgroup);
"SylowSubgroup"
gap> Blubberflutsch:=x->x;;
gap> NameFunction(Blubberflutsch);
"Blubberflutsch"
gap> a:=Blubberflutsch;;
gap> NameFunction(a);
"Blubberflutsch"
gap> NameFunction(x->x);
"unknown"
gap> NameFunction(NameFunction);
"NAME_FUNC"

returns the number of arguments the function func accepts. For functions that use arg to take a variable number of arguments, as well as for operations, -1 is returned. For attributes, 1 is returned.

gap> NumberArgumentsFunction(function(a,b,c,d,e,f,g,h,i,j,k)return 1;end);
11
gap> NumberArgumentsFunction(Size);
1
gap> NumberArgumentsFunction(IsCollsCollsElms);
3
gap> NumberArgumentsFunction(Sum);
-1

5.2 Calling a function with a list argument that is interpreted as several arguments

returns the result, when calling function func with the arguments given in the list args, i.e. args is ``unwrapped'' so that args appears as several arguments to func.

gap> CallFuncList(\+, [6, 7]);
13
gap> #is equivalent to:
gap> \+(6, 7);
13

A more useful application of CallFuncList is for a function g that is called in the body of a function f with (a sublist of) the arguments of f, where f has been defined with a single formal argument arg (see function); see the following code fragment.

f := function ( arg )
       CallFuncList(g, arg);
       ...
     end;

In the body of f the several arguments passed to f become a list arg. If g were called instead via g( arg ) then g would see a single list argument, so that g would, in general, have to ``unwrap'' the passed list. The following (not particularly useful) example demonstrates both described possibilities for the call to g.

gap> PrintNumberFromDigits := function ( arg )
>     CallFuncList( Print, arg );
>     Print( "\n" );
>    end;
function( arg ) ... end
gap> PrintNumberFromDigits( 1, 9, 7, 3, 2 );
19732
gap> PrintDigits := function ( arg )
>     Print( arg );
>     Print( "\n" );
>    end;
function( arg ) ... end
gap> PrintDigits( 1, 9, 7, 3, 2 );
[ 1, 9, 7, 3, 2 ]

5.3 Functions that do nothing

The following functions return fixed results (or just their own argument). They can be useful in places when the syntax requires a function, but actually no functionality is required. So ReturnTrue is often used as family predicate in InstallMethod (see InstallMethod in ``Programming in GAP'').

This function takes any number of arguments, and always returns true.

This function takes any number of arguments, and always returns false.

This function takes any number of arguments, and always returns fail.

returns obj.

5.4 Function Types

Functions are GAP objects and thus have categories and a family.

is the category of functions.

is the category of operations. Every operation is a function, but not vice versa.

is the family of all functions.

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GAP 4 manual
May 2002