DisplayFunction

DisplayFunction is an option for most graphics functions, and is normally used to indicate whether the graphics should be displayed.  As long as you haven't changed the value assigned to $DisplayFunction you can ensure graphics are displayed by giving DisplayFunction the setting $DisplayFunction.  To prevent the display of graphics DisplayFunction should be set to Identity.

For example the next cell shows a plot sin[x], x-(x^3)/6 on the same graphic, but before making the combined plot it makes and displays the individual plots.

plt1 = Plot[Sin[x], {x, -π, π}] ; plt2 = Plot[x - x^3/6, {x, -2, 2}] ; Show[plt1, plt2] ;

You can supress display of the individual plots by using the DisplaFunction options in the next cell.  Here DisplayFunctionIdentity prevents display of the individual graphs.  To ensure the combined plots are displayed we must use DisplayFunction$DisplayFunction inside Show.

plt1 = Plot[Sin[x], {x, -π, π}, DisplayFunctionIdentity] ; plt2 = Plot[x - x ... }, DisplayFunctionIdentity] ; Show[plt1, plt2, DisplayFunction$DisplayFunction] ;

A labor saving way to change the setting of DisplayFunction is given in my discussion of Block.

Created by Mathematica  (May 16, 2004)

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