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InputForm[expr]

prints as a version of expr suitable for input to the Wolfram Language.

Details and Options
Details and Options Details and Options
Examples  
Basic Examples  
Scope  
Basic Objects  
Special Input Forms  
Special Output Forms  
Options  
NumberMarks  
Properties & Relations  
Possible Issues  
See Also
Tech Notes
Related Guides
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History
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InputForm

InputForm[expr]

prints as a version of expr suitable for input to the Wolfram Language.

Details and Options

  • InputForm always produces one-dimensional output, suitable to be typed as lines of Wolfram Language input.
  • The typeset form of InputForm[expr] is interpreted the same as expr when used in input. »
  • When an input evaluates to InputForm[expr], InputForm does not appear in the output. »
  • Put (>>) produces InputForm by default.
  • Short[InputForm[expr]] can be used, but may generate skeleton objects that cannot be given as Wolfram Language input.
  • The option NumberMarks can be used to specify whether ` marks should be used to indicate type, precision, or accuracy of approximate numbers. »

Examples

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Basic Examples  (2)

InputForm of a typeset expression:

InputForm of a graphic:

Scope  (8)

Basic Objects  (2)

Integer, Rational, Real, and Complex numbers:

Arbitrary‐precision Real and Complex numbers:

Special constants:

Characters and strings of characters:

Control characters for strings:

Special Input Forms  (4)

Different ways of representing Power expressions:

Special typeset expressions:

Different list structures:

Input without special interpretation:

With special characters in the same positions, there may be special interpretations:

In the case of superscripts, most things get interpreted as Power:

Special Output Forms  (2)

Some objects use a special output representation:

Some objects use an elided output representation:

The elided parts are visible using InputForm:

Options  (3)

NumberMarks  (3)

Machine numbers format without number marks by default:

The same number with number marks:

Extended-precision numbers include number marks by default:

Without number marks:

A mixed symbolic and numeric expression:

Include number marks for all numbers:

Omit all number marks:

Properties & Relations  (4)

The typeset form of InputForm[expr] is interpreted the same as expr when used in input:

Copy the output and paste it into an input cell. The x^2 is interpreted as x2:

When an input evaluates to InputForm[expr], InputForm does not appear in the output:

Out is assigned the value x2, not InputForm[x^2]:

InputForm has a linear formatting:

FullForm has linear formatting without special syntax:

OutputForm, StandardForm, and TraditionalForm all provide two-dimensional formatting:

Use ToString to generate a string in input form:

Possible Issues  (1)

Even when an output omits InputForm from the top level, it is not stripped from subexpressions:

The output does not have InputForm in it:

However, the variable e does have InputForm in it, which may affect subsequent evaluations:

The product is not evaluated due to the intervening InputForm:

Assign variables first and then apply InputForm to the result to maintain computability:

Wolfram Research (1988), InputForm, Wolfram Language function, https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/InputForm.html (updated 1996).

Text

Wolfram Research (1988), InputForm, Wolfram Language function, https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/InputForm.html (updated 1996).

CMS

Wolfram Language. 1988. "InputForm." Wolfram Language & System Documentation Center. Wolfram Research. Last Modified 1996. https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/InputForm.html.

APA

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

BibTeX

@misc{reference.wolfram_2025_inputform, author="Wolfram Research", title="{InputForm}", year="1996", howpublished="\url{https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/InputForm.html}", note=[Accessed: 01-May-2026]}

BibLaTeX

@online{reference.wolfram_2025_inputform, organization={Wolfram Research}, title={InputForm}, year={1996}, url={https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/InputForm.html}, note=[Accessed: 01-May-2026]}