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SetOptions
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SetOptions

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SetOptions[s,name1value1,name2value2,…]

sets the specified default options for a symbol s.

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SetOptions[stream,…] or SetOptions["name",…]

sets options associated with a particular stream.

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SetOptions[object,…]

sets options associated with an external object such as a NotebookObject or CloudObject.

Details

Examples

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Basic Examples  (1)Summary of the most common use cases

Change the style for plots to dashed curves:

In[1]:=1
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https://wolfram.com/xid/0bdouaq2r-c556wb
In[6]:=6
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https://wolfram.com/xid/0bdouaq2r-gv0ssf
Out[6]=6

Restore the system default:

In[7]:=7
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https://wolfram.com/xid/0bdouaq2r-depkv9

Scope  (4)Survey of the scope of standard use cases

Reset the default precision for HilbertMatrix:

In[15]:=15
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https://wolfram.com/xid/0bdouaq2r-c2kid4
Out[15]=15

Now HilbertMatrix uses machine numbers by default:

In[18]:=18
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https://wolfram.com/xid/0bdouaq2r-84a2r
Out[18]=18

A specific option setting overrides the new default:

In[19]:=19
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https://wolfram.com/xid/0bdouaq2r-gph535
Out[19]=19

Restore the system default:

In[20]:=20
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https://wolfram.com/xid/0bdouaq2r-htxpe4

Start writing to a temporary file:

In[1]:=1
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https://wolfram.com/xid/0bdouaq2r-dxexpb
Out[1]=1

Set the page width to 10 characters:

In[2]:=2
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https://wolfram.com/xid/0bdouaq2r-dj4gez
Out[2]=2

Write Range[10] to the file and close the stream:

In[3]:=3
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https://wolfram.com/xid/0bdouaq2r-fl70w9
Out[3]=3

Line breaks occur at the 10th column:

In[4]:=4
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https://wolfram.com/xid/0bdouaq2r-banj0f

Create a reference to the input cell:

In[1]:=1
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https://wolfram.com/xid/0bdouaq2r-px3wqw
Out[1]=1

Change the background of the cell to red:

In[2]:=2
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https://wolfram.com/xid/0bdouaq2r-8mm85z

Restore the setting of the cell, which will cause it to inherit from the notebook:

In[3]:=3
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https://wolfram.com/xid/0bdouaq2r-1dge07

Change the Permissions of a CloudObject:

In[1]:=1
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https://wolfram.com/xid/0bdouaq2r-jaba9o
Out[1]=1
In[2]:=2
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https://wolfram.com/xid/0bdouaq2r-glx3r2
Out[2]=2

Properties & Relations  (2)Properties of the function, and connections to other functions

SetOptions can be used to modify protected symbols:

In[1]:=1
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https://wolfram.com/xid/0bdouaq2r-81u848

The option has been modified:

In[2]:=2
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https://wolfram.com/xid/0bdouaq2r-hoo45t
Out[2]=2

The symbol still has attribute Protected:

In[3]:=3
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https://wolfram.com/xid/0bdouaq2r-5jelas
Out[3]=3

Restore the system default:

In[4]:=4
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https://wolfram.com/xid/0bdouaq2r-l1sf98

SetOptions resets the Permissions value entirely (except for the owner's permissions):

In[1]:=1
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https://wolfram.com/xid/0bdouaq2r-fi68yt
Out[1]=1
In[2]:=2
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https://wolfram.com/xid/0bdouaq2r-cq2frc
Out[2]=2
In[3]:=3
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https://wolfram.com/xid/0bdouaq2r-s5bm0k
Out[3]=3
In[4]:=4
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https://wolfram.com/xid/0bdouaq2r-lqk7hu
Out[4]=4

SetPermissions only resets the capabilities of the given user groups:

In[5]:=5
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https://wolfram.com/xid/0bdouaq2r-e7kctx
Out[5]=5
In[6]:=6
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https://wolfram.com/xid/0bdouaq2r-okofz8
Out[6]=6

Possible Issues  (2)Common pitfalls and unexpected behavior

SetOptions can only be used to change the default value of an option, not to add a new one:

In[1]:=1
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https://wolfram.com/xid/0bdouaq2r-zv5jjj
Out[1]=1
In[2]:=2
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https://wolfram.com/xid/0bdouaq2r-elbf3s
Out[2]=2

Use AppendTo, PrependTo and similar functions to add additional options to a function:

In[3]:=3
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https://wolfram.com/xid/0bdouaq2r-eg5j6v
Out[3]=3

For notebook options with rules, it can be awkward to make a targeted change to a specific rule:

In[1]:=1
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https://wolfram.com/xid/0bdouaq2r-gbdj4q

CurrentValue provides a better way of adding or changing specific rules:

In[2]:=2
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https://wolfram.com/xid/0bdouaq2r-m67j5b
Out[2]=2
Wolfram Research (1988), SetOptions, Wolfram Language function, https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/SetOptions.html (updated 2012).
✖
Wolfram Research (1988), SetOptions, Wolfram Language function, https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/SetOptions.html (updated 2012).

Text

Wolfram Research (1988), SetOptions, Wolfram Language function, https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/SetOptions.html (updated 2012).

✖
Wolfram Research (1988), SetOptions, Wolfram Language function, https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/SetOptions.html (updated 2012).

CMS

Wolfram Language. 1988. "SetOptions." Wolfram Language & System Documentation Center. Wolfram Research. Last Modified 2012. https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/SetOptions.html.

✖
Wolfram Language. 1988. "SetOptions." Wolfram Language & System Documentation Center. Wolfram Research. Last Modified 2012. https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/SetOptions.html.

APA

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

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

BibTeX

@misc{reference.wolfram_2025_setoptions, author="Wolfram Research", title="{SetOptions}", year="2012", howpublished="\url{https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/SetOptions.html}", note=[Accessed: 25-March-2025 ]}

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@misc{reference.wolfram_2025_setoptions, author="Wolfram Research", title="{SetOptions}", year="2012", howpublished="\url{https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/SetOptions.html}", note=[Accessed: 25-March-2025 ]}

BibLaTeX

@online{reference.wolfram_2025_setoptions, organization={Wolfram Research}, title={SetOptions}, year={2012}, url={https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/SetOptions.html}, note=[Accessed: 25-March-2025 ]}

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@online{reference.wolfram_2025_setoptions, organization={Wolfram Research}, title={SetOptions}, year={2012}, url={https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/SetOptions.html}, note=[Accessed: 25-March-2025 ]}