From spencer.graves at pdf.com  Sun May 21 19:23:18 2006
From: spencer.graves at pdf.com (Spencer Graves)
Date: Sun, 21 May 2006 10:23:18 -0700
Subject: [Rd] Suggesting changes to HELP files?
In-Reply-To: <971536df0605210902u3810b9a4nf4f7c4d967e98e5@mail.gmail.com>
References: <44708B0A.1050409@pdf.com>
	<971536df0605210902u3810b9a4nf4f7c4d967e98e5@mail.gmail.com>
Message-ID: <4470A206.1070703@pdf.com>

Hi, Gabor:

	  Thanks.  My initial failed attempt to add to "R wiki" generated the 
following two questions:

	  1.  What's the best way to find the R Wiki from "www.r-project.org"? 
  I found it just now via RSiteSearch("R wiki").  Might it be reasonable 
to add, e.g., a hot link to "R Wiki" under "Documentation"?

	  2.  I just found a page that reads, 'R Wiki - Documentation
The ?Wikified? version of all R man pages. To access a given page, type 
the name of an R function in the search box at top right and click 
?search?. Select the corresponding page in the search result.

Alternatively, you can click the name of a function in an R code chunk 
anywhere.'  (http://wiki.r-project.org/rwiki/doku.php?id=rdoc:rdoc)

	  I tried searching for 'vignette' but failed to get anything useful. 
What am I missing?

	  Thanks again,
	  Spencer Graves

Gabor Grothendieck wrote:
> You could consider adding something to the wiki while you are
> waiting.
> 
> On 5/21/06, Spencer Graves <spencer.graves at pdf.com> wrote:
>>          Is there a procedure for suggesting changes to HELP files of 
>> the core
>> R distribution?  If yes, what is it?  If it would be considered a
>> friendly gesture, I could find the relevant *.Rd file and submit a
>> suggested modification to it someplace.  Alternatively, I could just
>> send suggestions someplace if they would receive appropriate
>> consideration.
>>
>>          On many occasions, I think of modifications, e.g., additional
>> examples, that could be added to 'help' pages that I believe would make
>> it easier for people to understand how to use some R feature.  Instead,
>> I often provide the same answer multiple times to different posts.
>>
>>          I can think of two changes off the top of my head that I'd 
>> like to
>> see:  First, many if not all of the helps page in the nlme and lme4
>> packages should, I believe, include a reference Pinheiro and Bates.
>> This is not the place for modesty on the part of Pinheiro, Bates, and
>> co-workers.  I believe that many requests for help might be eliminated
>> if such references were added.  Failing that, it would be easier for
>> people like me to suggest someone read that book, because I wouldn't
>> feel such a need to spell out the entire citation every time.
>>
>>          Second, I think the description of 'vignette' could be 
>> enhanced to
>> include some version of my 'p.s.' to
>> 'http://finzi.psych.upenn.edu/R/Rhelp02a/archive/73494.html' and other
>> similar posts.  In particular, I see that the 'edit' method is described
>> there, but I didn't understand what it said until I already knew how to
>> use it.  Also, 'edit' doesn't work for me under ESS / Emacs.  For that,
>> I use Stangle (as Sundar Dorai-Raj taught me).
>>
>>          Thanks,
>>          Spencer Graves
>>
>> ______________________________________________
>> R-devel at r-project.org mailing list
>> https://stat.ethz.ch/mailman/listinfo/r-devel
>>



[Rd] Suggesting changes to HELP files?
Spencer Graves