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SetAttributes
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SetAttributes

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SetAttributes[symbol,attr]

adds attr to the list of attributes of the symbol symbol.

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SetAttributes["symbol",attr]

adds attr to the attributes of the symbol named "symbol" if it exists.

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SetAttributes[s,{attr1,attr2,…}]

sets several attributes at a time.

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SetAttributes[{s1,s2,…},attrs]

sets attributes of several symbols at a time.

Details

Examples

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Basic Examples  (2)Summary of the most common use cases

In[1]:=1
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https://wolfram.com/xid/09a72k8j2-ca2nbw
In[2]:=2
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https://wolfram.com/xid/09a72k8j2-w3riu
Out[2]=2
In[1]:=1
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https://wolfram.com/xid/09a72k8j2-d8llyu
In[2]:=2
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https://wolfram.com/xid/09a72k8j2-eqpyk1
Out[2]=2

Scope  (3)Survey of the scope of standard use cases

Add an attribute to the list of attributes of a symbol:

In[1]:=1
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https://wolfram.com/xid/09a72k8j2-wbeh0

Add more attributes; the previous ones are retained:

In[2]:=2
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https://wolfram.com/xid/09a72k8j2-cnk69g
In[3]:=3
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https://wolfram.com/xid/09a72k8j2-iz45qt
Out[3]=3

Add several attributes:

In[1]:=1
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https://wolfram.com/xid/09a72k8j2-fi0gb2

Add the same attributes to several symbols:

In[1]:=1
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https://wolfram.com/xid/09a72k8j2-gdk1qx

Properties & Relations  (6)Properties of the function, and connections to other functions

Set a single attribute for the symbols f and g:

In[1]:=1
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https://wolfram.com/xid/09a72k8j2-cy3pkq

SetAttributes adds to the already existing attributes; Attributes[g]={..} resets the list:

In[2]:=2
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https://wolfram.com/xid/09a72k8j2-op4s
In[3]:=3
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https://wolfram.com/xid/09a72k8j2-b5jt53
Out[3]=3

SetAttributes is equivalent to this assignment to the attributes:

In[1]:=1
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https://wolfram.com/xid/09a72k8j2-si5wo
Out[1]=1

Use ClearAttributes to clear a particular attribute:

In[1]:=1
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https://wolfram.com/xid/09a72k8j2-eu9gi
In[2]:=2
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https://wolfram.com/xid/09a72k8j2-eck7li
In[3]:=3
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https://wolfram.com/xid/09a72k8j2-eljr6j
Out[3]=3

Protecting a symbol is equivalent to setting the Protected attribute:

In[1]:=1
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https://wolfram.com/xid/09a72k8j2-kr2p40
In[2]:=2
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https://wolfram.com/xid/09a72k8j2-ieyx3j
Out[2]=2

You can still change the attributes of a protected symbol:

In[3]:=3
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https://wolfram.com/xid/09a72k8j2-chwerp

After setting the attribute Locked, no more changes to the attributes can be made:

In[1]:=1
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https://wolfram.com/xid/09a72k8j2-ir23xj

A locked symbol can no longer be unprotected, as the Protected attribute cannot be cleared:

In[2]:=2
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https://wolfram.com/xid/09a72k8j2-b5fvs4
Out[2]=2

SetAttributes has the attribute HoldFirst:

In[1]:=1
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https://wolfram.com/xid/09a72k8j2-exsfz6
Out[1]=1
In[2]:=2
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https://wolfram.com/xid/09a72k8j2-ec5ui

This sets attributes of the symbol syms itself:

In[3]:=3
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https://wolfram.com/xid/09a72k8j2-b4zmpq
In[4]:=4
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https://wolfram.com/xid/09a72k8j2-g4fwzb
Out[4]=4

This sets the attributes of all symbols in the list syms:

In[5]:=5
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https://wolfram.com/xid/09a72k8j2-eef4zu
In[6]:=6
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https://wolfram.com/xid/09a72k8j2-cv2icv
Out[6]=6

Neat Examples  (1)Surprising or curious use cases

The 10 system symbols with the most attributes:

In[1]:=1
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https://wolfram.com/xid/09a72k8j2-gv74p6
Wolfram Research (1988), SetAttributes, Wolfram Language function, https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/SetAttributes.html.
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Wolfram Research (1988), SetAttributes, Wolfram Language function, https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/SetAttributes.html.

Text

Wolfram Research (1988), SetAttributes, Wolfram Language function, https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/SetAttributes.html.

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Wolfram Research (1988), SetAttributes, Wolfram Language function, https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/SetAttributes.html.

CMS

Wolfram Language. 1988. "SetAttributes." Wolfram Language & System Documentation Center. Wolfram Research. https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/SetAttributes.html.

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Wolfram Language. 1988. "SetAttributes." Wolfram Language & System Documentation Center. Wolfram Research. https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/SetAttributes.html.

APA

Wolfram Language. (1988). SetAttributes. Wolfram Language & System Documentation Center. Retrieved from https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/SetAttributes.html

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Wolfram Language. (1988). SetAttributes. Wolfram Language & System Documentation Center. Retrieved from https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/SetAttributes.html

BibTeX

@misc{reference.wolfram_2025_setattributes, author="Wolfram Research", title="{SetAttributes}", year="1988", howpublished="\url{https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/SetAttributes.html}", note=[Accessed: 29-March-2025 ]}

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@misc{reference.wolfram_2025_setattributes, author="Wolfram Research", title="{SetAttributes}", year="1988", howpublished="\url{https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/SetAttributes.html}", note=[Accessed: 29-March-2025 ]}

BibLaTeX

@online{reference.wolfram_2025_setattributes, organization={Wolfram Research}, title={SetAttributes}, year={1988}, url={https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/SetAttributes.html}, note=[Accessed: 29-March-2025 ]}

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@online{reference.wolfram_2025_setattributes, organization={Wolfram Research}, title={SetAttributes}, year={1988}, url={https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/SetAttributes.html}, note=[Accessed: 29-March-2025 ]}