Wolfram: Syntax Shortcuts and Operators

By Xah Lee. Date: . Last updated: .

This page gives a complete list of short syntax in WolframLang.

What is Short Syntax

WolframLang code can be written in FullForm Syntax or short syntax.

Frequently used functions have short syntax. e.g.

FullFormshort syntax
Plus[3,4]3+4
Rational[3,4]3/4
List[3,4]{3,4}
Equal[x,y]x == y
SameQ[x,y]x === y
Greater[x,y]x > y
Set[x,3]x = 3

Brackets

[]

square brackets are for function arguments. e.g. Sin[Pi]

()

parenthesis are for grouping precedence. e.g. (3+2)*2

{args}

same as List[args]

〔see Wolfram: List〕

e[[i]]

same as Part[e, i]

〔see Wolfram: List. Get Parts〕

\[Name]

represent a special character, such as \[Pi] (π), \[Element] (∈), etc.

〔see Wolfram: Source Code Encoding and Unicode〕

(*blab*)

Comment. Can be nested. Can be multi-line.

"abc"

QUOTATION MARK is for string delimiter. e.g. "abc"

Symbol Name

Aaa

builtin function names begin with capital letter. e.g. Sin[Pi]

$Aaa

builtin variable names begin with dollar sign. e.g. $Version, $ProcessorCount

a`b

grave accent mark is context separator for Symbol. (It's a namespace separator. similar to the slash in file path separator, or dot used by golang, python, java.)

x = 3;
Context[x]
(* Global` *)

Global`x
(* 3 *)

Expression Separator

expr1;expr2

same as CompoundExpression[expr1, expr2]

〔see Wolfram: CompoundExpression and Semicolon〕

Interactive Session

?a

same as Information[a]

〔see Wolfram: Find Function by Name〕

%n

nth output.

same as Out[n]

%

same as Out[-1]

%%

same as Out[-2]. And so on for %%%, etc.

Pure Function

body&

same as Function[body]

〔see Wolfram: Function Syntax Shortcut〕

x|->body

same as Function[x, body]

#

same as Slot[1]. Use to stand for first parameter of function.

#n
  • if n is a integer, then same as Slot[n].
  • if n is a string, then same as Slot[name].
##

rest parameters.

same as SlotSequence[]

##n

rest parameters, starting with nth argument.

same as SlotSequence[n]

Function Application

f @ x

prefix notation. same as f[x]

x // f

postfix notation. same as f[x]

a ~ f ~ b

infix notation. same as f[a, b]

f /@ x

same as Map[f, x]

〔see Wolfram: Map Function to List〕

f @@ x

same as Apply[f, x]

f @@@ x

same as Apply[f, x, {1}].

Function Composition

f @* g

same as Composition[f, g]

f /* g

same as RightComposition[f, g]

Assignment (Create Rule)

a = b

same as Set[a, b]

〔see Wolfram: Set, SetDelayed〕

a := b

same as SetDelayed[a, b]

x //= f

same as ApplyTo[x, f]

same as x = f[x]

lhs ^= rhs

same as UpSet[lhs, rhs]

lhs ^:= rhs

same as UpSetDelayed[lhs, rhs]

f /:lhs= rhs

same as TagSet[lhs, rhs]

f /:lhs := rhs

same as TagSetDelayed[f, lhs, rhs]

Equality

a == b

same as Equal[a, b]

〔see Wolfram: Equality Test〕

a != b

same as Unequal[a, b]

a === b

same as SameQ[a, b]

a =!= b

same as UnsameQ[a, b]

String

a <> b

same as StringJoin[a, b]

〔see Wolfram: String Functions〕

a ~~ b

same as StringExpression[a, b]

〔see Wolfram: String Expression〕

Read/Write File

<<file

same as Get[file]

>>file

same as Put[file]

>>>file

same as PutAppend[file]

Rules

a->b

same as Rule[a, b]

〔see Wolfram: Rule, RuleDelayed〕

a:>b

same as RuleDelayed[a, b]

a/.b

same as Replace[a, b]

〔see Wolfram: Replace Expression by Pattern〕

Pattern Matching

_

same as Blank[]

〔see Wolfram: Pattern Syntax〕

__

same as BlankSequence[]

___

same as BlankNullSequence[]

a_

same as Pattern[a, Blank[]]

a__

same as Pattern[a, BlankSequence[]]

a___

same as Pattern[a, BlankNullSequence[]]

a:b

if a is a Symbol, then it's same as Pattern[a, b]. if a is a pattern, then it's same as Optional[a, b].

p..

same as Repeated[p]

a|b

same as Alternatives[a, b]

p/;t

same as Condition[p, t]

p?t

same as PatternTest[p, t]

Number Literal

digits.digits

approximate number (aka float). e.g. 16.8

base^^digits

integer in specified base. Base up to 36, using English letters after 9. Letter case does not matter.

2^^10 === 2
2^^11 === 3
16^^a === 10
16^^f === 15
16^^ff === 255
36^^a === 10
36^^z === 35
36^^z1 === 1261
base^^digits.digits

approximate number in specified base.

significand*^n

scientific notation (significand * 10^n)

1.2*^2 == 120.
3.2*^-2 == 0.032
base^^significand*^n

scientific notation in specified base (significand * base^n)

number`

machine‐precision approximate number. e.g. 1.23`

number`s

arbitrary‐precision number with precision s.

3.1`20 == 3.1
number``s

arbitrary‐precision number with accuracy s

3.1``20 == 3.1

Arithmetics

a+b

same as Plus[a, b]

-b

same as Times[-1, b]

a*b

same as Times[a, b]

a b

same as Times[a, b] if a and b are numbers or symbols.

a/b
  • same as Rational[a, b] If a, b are integers
  • same as Times[a, Power[b, -1]].
a^b

same as Power[a, b]

Logic, Boolean

a&&b

same as And[a, b]

〔see Wolfram: True, False (boolean)〕

a||b

same as Or[a, b]

!a

same as Not[a]

Misc

symbol::tag

same as MessageName[symbol, tag]

x \[Element] dom

same as Element[x, dom]

\[Element] is rendered as ∈

x \[Distributed] dist

same as Distributed[x, dist]

a \[UndirectedEdge] b

same as UndirectedEdge[a, b]

a \[DirectedEdge] b

same as DirectedEdge[a, b]

Wolfram. Syntax