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ReadProtected

is an attribute that prevents values associated with a symbol from being seen.

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ReadProtected

ReadProtected

is an attribute that prevents values associated with a symbol from being seen.

Details

  • Individual values associated with read‐protected symbols can be used during evaluation.
  • Definition[f], ?f, and related functions give only the attributes for read‐protected symbols f.

Examples

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Basic Examples  (2)

Wolfram Language code: Attributes[Pi]
Wolfram Language code: f[x_] := x ^ 2; SetAttributes[f, {Protected, ReadProtected, Locked}]

Properties & Relations  (2)

Definitions of a read-protected symbol are not shown:

Wolfram Language code: f[x_] := x ^ 2; SetAttributes[f, ReadProtected];
Wolfram Language code: Definition[f]

As long as the symbol is not locked, the read protection can be removed:

Wolfram Language code: ClearAttributes[f, ReadProtected];
Wolfram Language code: Definition[f]

If a symbol is locked and protected, its definitions can be neither changed nor read:

Wolfram Language code: f[x_] := x ^ 2; SetAttributes[f, {Protected, ReadProtected, Locked}];
Wolfram Language code: Definition[f]
Wolfram Language code: Clear[f]
Wolfram Research (1988), ReadProtected, Wolfram Language function, https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/ReadProtected.html.

Text

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

CMS

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

APA

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

BibTeX

@misc{reference.wolfram_2026_readprotected, author="Wolfram Research", title="{ReadProtected}", year="1988", howpublished="\url{https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/ReadProtected.html}", note=[Accessed: 05-October-2026]}

BibLaTeX

@online{reference.wolfram_2026_readprotected, organization={Wolfram Research}, title={ReadProtected}, year={1988}, url={https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/ReadProtected.html}, note=[Accessed: 05-October-2026]}