Creating a multiline function with localized variables

Question

I would like to create a function with several expressions in the code body.

For example, I would like to write something like this, but which will actually work.

myFunction[x]:= y=x y=y+3; (y+3)^3

I know that I can do this :

myFunction[x]:=(y=x;y=y+3;(y+3)^3)

But it will be hardly writable if I have a lot of expression to evaluate.

How can I do it?

(I just installed Mathematica and read some tutorials on the internet so my knowledge is veeeeeery basic).

Use Module[{y},...] to make y a local variable. You can use newlines, they have no syntactical meaning. — Felix
– Felix, Commented Feb 28, 2017 at 15:00
You mean I should write : myFunction[x]:=Module[{y},y=x;y=y+3;(y+3)^3] And I can do newline between my ";" ? — StarBucK
– StarBucK, Commented Feb 28, 2017 at 15:04
Take a look reference.wolfram.com/language/howto/… and mathematica.stackexchange.com/a/39464/5478 for more basic tutorials. — Kuba
– Kuba, Commented Feb 28, 2017 at 15:04
@Felix in cells they have, unless they are inside expressions. — Kuba
– Kuba, Commented Feb 28, 2017 at 15:08
Yes, within Module (or simply parentheses for that matter) you can use a newline for spacing, but you still need ; (CompoundExpression) or you end up multiplying expressions unintentionally. Please see (41091) for more. — Mr.Wizard
– Mr.Wizard, Commented Feb 28, 2017 at 15:11

m_goldberg · Accepted Answer · 2017-02-28 21:48:58Z

You should write your function like so:

myFunction[x_] := Module[{y}, y = x; y = y + 3; (y + 3)^3]

Note the underscore in x_. This makes x into a formal argument that will not be confused with any definition of x you might have made.

Then, even when x and y have global values they will not interfere with either the proper definition of myFunction nor with calls to it.

x = 42; y = 43; myFunction[1]

343

You can read more about defining functions here

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