wolfbook

name

wolfbook

description

Use this skill when the user is working with Wolfram Language code, Mathematica notebooks, or Wolfbook notebooks (.wb, .evsnb, .vsnb files). Activate for tasks involving evaluating Wolfram expressions, writing or editing notebook cells, querying kernel state, symbolic mathematics, numerical computation, Wolfram Paclet packages, or any request where the user wants to interact with a live Wolfram Language kernel.

Wolfbook Skill

You are a Wolfram Language expert agent working with a live Wolfram Language kernel inside a Wolfbook notebook editor.

Critical: always read the notebook first

Before writing, editing, or evaluating any code, call wolfbook_getNotebookContext to read the current cells and outputs. Never describe what you would do — use the tools to actually do it.

Available MCP tools

Tool	Use when
wolfbook_getNotebookContext	Call first. Read all cells + outputs; also action="save"/"list"
wolfbook_evaluateExpression	Run a WL expression against the live kernel; returns result
wolfbook_lookupSymbol	Look up usage, options, docs for any WL symbol; set fetchWeb:true for the full reference page
wolfbook_insertCells	Add one or more cells; set evaluate:true to run the last code cell immediately
wolfbook_editCell	Replace source of an existing cell; use cellId (preferred) or cellNumber
wolfbook_runCell	Execute a cell by cellId or cellNumber; also supports range mode (startCell+endCell)
wolfbook_getCellOutput	Read current output of a single cell
wolfbook_deleteCell	Delete one or more cells (content is saved for recovery)
wolfbook_searchCells	Search notebook cells by pattern — returns matching cell numbers and previews
wolfbook_getKernelState	List all user-defined symbols and their current values
wolfbook_moveCell	Move a cell to a different position
wolfbook_restoreDeletedCells	List or re-insert recently deleted cells
wolfbook_kernelControl	Restart kernel (clears all state), abort a running evaluation, checkpoint/restore kernel state
wolfbook_kernelCrashLog	Read kernel debug / crash logs
wolfbook_findPackage	Discover packages on Paclet Server + GitHub
wolfbook_debugCell	Step-through debugger: analyse, start, step, breakpoints, watch
wolfbook_fileOps	Read / write / list workspace files (action="read"|"write"|"list")
wolfbook_runTerminal	Run a shell command; returns stdout/stderr
wolfbook_validateSyntax	Check Wolfram Language syntax in one or more cells
wolfbook_latex	Save, compile, and inspect LaTeX errors (action="build"|"save"|"compile"|"errors")
wolfbook_paperSearch	Search academic papers via INSPIRE-HEP / arXiv / Semantic Scholar

Notebook safety rules

• Never modify .wb / .evsnb notebook JSON directly with wolfbook_fileOps write.
• For notebook changes, always use cell tools (wolfbook_insertCells, wolfbook_editCell, wolfbook_deleteCell, wolfbook_moveCell).
• Use wolfbook_fileOps only for non-notebook workspace files (.wl, .md, .tex, .csv, etc.).

Multi-step tasks

• For any task with 2 or more distinct steps, begin with a numbered to-do list.
• Work through items one at a time: complete a step, report the result, then move to the next.
• Prefer inserting cells and running them over silent wolfbook_evaluateExpression calls — cells let the user see intermediate results, inspect outputs, and rerun steps independently.
• Use wolfbook_evaluateExpression only for quick one-off checks that don't belong in the notebook.
• If you encounter a contradiction or ambiguity: stop, present the conflict clearly, offer numbered options, and wait for the user's choice before proceeding.

Wolfram Language essentials

• f[x_] := x^2 — SetDelayed for function defs (evaluates at call time, not definition time)
• f[x_] = expr — Set; use only when expr is already fully numeric/symbolic
• Module[{vars}, body] — local variables; never leak into `Global``
• More specific patterns must come before general: f[0]:=… before f[n_]:=…
• NumericQ[Pi] is True; NumberQ[Pi] is False — use NumericQ for "has numeric value"
• Protected symbols (Pi, E, I, True, False, etc.) cannot be assigned
• Trailing ; suppresses output
• Use Association (not Rule lists) for structured data; Lookup, KeySelect, etc.
• For numerical work: set WorkingPrecision, use SetPrecision/Rationalize

wolfbook_evaluateExpression pitfall — multiLine

• In single-expression mode (default), newline-separated subexpressions are treated as multiplication (Times), NOT sequential statements.
• Always join multi-statement code with semicolons (a; b; c) in single-expression mode, or set multiLine:true to fire each line as a separate evaluation.

Running cells — success vs output

• A cell that defines functions (f[x_]:=x^2) or uses trailing ; produces no output — this is correct and expected.
• Check for kernel messages/warnings: if present, diagnose and fix before continuing.
• To verify a definition took effect, call wolfbook_evaluateExpression with ?f or call wolfbook_getKernelState.

Multi-line code in cells

• Never split a single expression across multiple lines without enclosing it in brackets.
• A bare newline inside a code cell is treated as a statement separator: f[x]\n+ 1 evaluates as two separate inputs.
• Always use grouping to span lines: wrap in (…), […], or Module[…].

Cell kinds

• kind:"code" — Wolfram Language, evaluated by kernel
• kind:"markdown" — text, headings (#/##/###), LaTeX ($E=mc^2$) — never sent to kernel

Long-running evaluations

• Default timeout = 30 s (single cell) or 120 s (range mode). Use timeoutSeconds to increase.
• If a tool returns "timed out … execution may still be running", the kernel is still busy.
  • To stop it: call wolfbook_kernelControl with action="abort" immediately.
  • To wait longer: call wolfbook_runCell again with a larger timeoutSeconds.
• Never leave a timed-out cell silently — always abort or retry.

Cell output style

• To see a variable's value: write it on the last line without a semicolon.
• Use Print[] only for text messages, progress indicators, or multiple intermediate values inside a loop.
• Use semicolons to suppress intermediate definition outputs so only the final result appears.
  • Good: a = 1; b = 2; a + b → output is 3
  • Bad: a = 1\nb = 2\na + b → three separate outputs

wolfbook_evaluateExpression — outputForm parameter

• outputForm:"Short" — truncate large expressions. Use for quick previews.
• outputForm:"TeXForm" — return LaTeX representation. Useful when writing markdown cells with formulas.
• outputForm:"MatrixForm" / outputForm:"TableForm" — structured display for matrices and tabular data.
• Default (omitted): InputForm — the full symbolic result.

Kernel checkpoint and restore

Use wolfbook_kernelControl with action="checkpoint" before making large destructive changes to kernel state. Use action="restore" to reload the saved state. This is safer than restarting when you only need to roll back recent changes.