toString -- convert to a string

Synopsis

Usage:

toString x
Inputs:
- x, any Macaulay2 object
Outputs:
- a string, a string representation of x

Description

Sometimes the string representation is just the name. See also toExternalString which will try to convert x to a string that can be read back into the program later.

i1 : toString {1,4,a,f,212312,2.123243242}

o1 = {1, 4, a, f, 212312, 2.12324}

If a ring has a global name, then toString returns this name.

i2 : R = QQ[x_1..x_5];

i3 : toString R

o3 = R

i4 : toExternalString R

o4 = QQ[x_1..x_5, Degrees => {5:1}, Heft => {1}]

i5 : toString(QQ[a])

o5 = QQ[a]

Matrices and ring elements are linearized

i6 : toString (x_1^3-3/4*x_5*x_3)

o6 = x_1^3-(3/4)*x_3*x_5

i7 : toString vars R

o7 = matrix {{x_1, x_2, x_3, x_4, x_5}}

i8 : toExternalString vars R

o8 = map(R^1,R^{{-1}, {-1}, {-1}, {-1}, {-1}},{{x_1, x_2, x_3, x_4, x_5}})

For the programmer

The object toString is a method function with a single argument.