Integer macros that may need rework.

[pstaabp]

Going through all of the macros to clean up the POD in #1244 (and the subsequent PRs that split this), many questions came up. This discussion is about integer functions in contextInteger.pl and contextIntegerFunctions.pl.

• It appears that they are contexts that allow some additional functions to be used in the context. No OPL problems use contextInteger.pl, so I'm not sure it's useful to have it as a context.

• contextInteger.pl provides: primeFactorization.pl, isPrime, randomPrime, gcd, lcm, phi, tau. gcd and lcm are already a number of places (including PGauxilliaryMacros.pl.)

• contextIntegerFunctions.pl provide P and C for computing the number of permutations and combinations. There are many problems that use these functions in the students answers.

I think this is high on the priority list, but seems like having these functions available to authors might be helpful.

• Should these be combined into a single macro?
• Should some of these go in PGauxilliaryMacros.pl.
• To keep current capabilities, seems like keeping the Context for the contextIntegerFunctions.pl, but less clear about the other functionality.

[dpvc]

Just to be sure it is clear, contextInteger.pl makes the functions makes those functions available in student answers, not just in the PG problem itself. While gcd and lcm are available in PGauxiliaryFunctions.pl, they are only available to the PG problem, not student answers. It is true, however, that the context::Integer::Function::Numeric methods could call on the ones from PGauxiliaryFunctions.pl rather than re-implement them, provided that contextInteger.pl loaded PGauxiliaryFunctions.pl.

I agree that the two files probably should be combined, and I'd recommend folding contextInteger.pl into contextIntegerFunctions.pl. That would free up the name contextInteger.pl for an implementation of an actual integer object, should one be desired.