Options
Options[expr]
gives the options explicitly specified in a particular expression such as a graphics object.
Options[stream]
gives options associated with a particular stream.
Options[object]
gives options associated with an external object such as an NotebookObject or CloudObject.
Options[obj,name]
gives the setting for the option name.
Options[obj,{name1,name2,…}]
gives a list of the settings for the options namei.
Details
- Many built‐in functions allow you to give additional arguments that specify options with rules of the form name->value.
- Options[f] gives the list of rules to be used for the options associated with a function f if no explicit rules are given when the function is called.
- Options always returns a list of transformation rules for option names.
- You can assign a value to Options[symbol] to redefine all the default option settings for a function. »
- SetOptions[symbol,name->value] can be used to specify individual default options.
- Values defined for Options[f] are stored with values of Default[f,…] in DefaultValues[f]. »
- Options["symbol"] will return an empty list if there is no corresponding symbol. »
- You can use Options on InputStream and OutputStream objects. For the two streams "stdout" and "stderr", you can use the short forms Options["stdout"] and Options["stderr"], respectively. »
- If obj is a user interface object such as $FrontEnd, NotebookObject or CellObject, the kernel will send a request to the front end to find the result. »
- Explicit values are found for options associated with cells, even if these options are only set at the style, notebook, or global level. »
Examples
open all close allBasic Examples (3)
Get the list of options for the LinearSolve function:
Options[LinearSolve]Define the default options of f:
Options[f] = {a -> 1, b -> 2};f[OptionsPattern[]] := {OptionValue[a], OptionValue[b]}{f[x], f[], f[a -> 17], f[b -> 18], f[a -> 17, b -> 18]}Retrieve the Permissions option of a cloud object:
Options[CloudObject["https://www.wolframcloud.com/obj/documentation/obj-opts"], Permissions]Scope (3)
Get a reference to the current notebook:
nb = EvaluationNotebook[]Get the title of the notebook:
Options[nb, WindowTitle]Extract the window margins and size simultaneously:
Options[nb, {WindowMargins, WindowSize}]Get the character encoding of the standard output stream:
$StandardOutputStreamOptions[%, CharacterEncoding]For this particular stream, along with "stderr", it is possible to use just the stream name in Options:
% === Options["stdout", CharacterEncoding]Get the list of options set in a particular cloud object:
Options[CloudObject["https://www.wolframcloud.com/obj/documentation/obj-opts"]]Get all the options, whether set in the object or inherited from global defaults:
Options[CloudObject["https://www.wolframcloud.com/obj/documentation/obj-opts"], First /@ Options[CloudObject]]Obtain the inherited option values:
Complement[%, %%]Applications (1)
Extract the plot range computed by Plot:
Plot[Sin[x], {x, 0, 2π}]Options[%, PlotRange]Properties & Relations (3)
Options[symbol] are stored, as a delayed rule, in DefaultValues[symbol]:
Options[Map]DefaultValues[Map]For front end objects, Options[obj] will return the options explicitly set in that object:
Options[EvaluationCell[]]Options[obj,opt] will obtain the effective value of opt, even if it comes from an object outside of obj:
Options[EvaluationCell[], Background]Options["name"] returns an empty list if "name" does not correspond to an existing symbol:
NameQ["newsymbol"]Options["newsymbol"]Possible Issues (1)
For most symbols, Options[symbol] and Options["symbol"] are essentially equivalent:
Options[LinearSolve] === Options["LinearSolve"]This is not true for the two special strings "stdout" and "stderr":
{Options[stdout], Options["stdout"]}{Options[stderr], Options["stderr"]}
Fast Introduction for Programmers: Options
An Elementary Introduction to the Wolfram LanguageText
Wolfram Research (1988), Options, Wolfram Language function, https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/Options.html (updated 2024).
CMS
Wolfram Language. 1988. "Options." Wolfram Language & System Documentation Center. Wolfram Research. Last Modified 2024. https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/Options.html.
APA
Wolfram Language. (1988). Options. Wolfram Language & System Documentation Center. Retrieved from https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/Options.html