Recently I gave an internal JMP talk on Python Tips and Tricks. There's one tip in particular that I think is powerful, so I'd like to share it with you: creating a JSL function that wraps the call to a Python function. In other words, this is utility code that can be written in Python but given a JSL interface. For ease of illustration, I've implemented a simple Python function that takes two objects and adds them together, then wraps that call in a JSL function. I start with three different types of data (numeric, string, and lists) and a function that adds the two Python objects together.
Names Default to Here(1);
one = 1;
two = 2;
author = "Paul Nelson";
devel = "Developer: ";
list1 = { 1, 3, 5, 7 };
list2 = { 2, 4, 6, 8 };
Python Submit("\[
def plus(a,b):
print(a, b)
return a+b
]\");
Any Python object that supports the "+" operator can be handled by this Python function.
// Python Execute is an underutilized gem. You can send a list
// of inputs and get a list of results and execute code all in one
// JSL statement.
Python Execute( {one, two}, {result}, "result = plus(one,two)" );
show(result);
The result:
result = plus(one,two)
/*:
1.0
2.0
result = 3;
This is where things get fun! In particular, a JSL function that wraps the Python defined plus() function.
// create a JSL function that wraps the the Python function
blow_mind = Function( {first, second}, // parameters
{pyresult}, // local variables
Python Execute( {first, second}, {pyresult}, "pyresult = plus(first,second)");
Return( pyresult ); // value to return
); // end of the definition
// Call the Python function through our JSL function. Good way to extend JSL
// using code written in Python. Could be useful for add-ins.
// Notice the same Python function handling different types of Python objects.
show( blow_mind(devel, author) );
show( blow_mind(list1, list2) );
Giving the results:
//:*/
pyresult = plus(first,second)
/*:
Developer:
Paul Nelson
blow_mind(devel, author) = "Developer: Paul Nelson";
//:*/
pyresult = plus(first,second)
/*:
[1, 3, 5, 7]
[2, 4, 6, 8]
blow_mind(list1, list2) = {1, 3, 5, 7, 2, 4, 6, 8};
Our trivial plus() function handled summation of numeric values, as well as concatenation of both strings and lists, which are all callable as a JSL function. The rest of the JSL code is blissfully unaware that what was actually called occurred in Python.
Complete file attached.
