From Gregor.Gorjanc at bfro.uni-lj.si  Mon May 16 15:27:36 2005
From: Gregor.Gorjanc at bfro.uni-lj.si (Gorjanc Gregor)
Date: Mon May 16 15:27:45 2005
Subject: [Rd] Form of \item{arg_i}{Description of arg_i.} in \arguments
Message-ID: <7FFEE688B57D7346BC6241C55900E730B70128@pollux.bfro.uni-lj.si>

Hello!

This really isn't so important, but it comes often in my mind, when
I write documentation for functions. Writing R Extensions manual says
that one should describe each element of the argument list (which is
afcourse OK) in a form:

\item{arg_i}{Description of arg_i.}

When I started with R it really helped me that some "man pages" used

\item{arg_i}{Mode. Description of arg_i.}

e.g. 

\item{argument1}{Logical. Bla bla bla.}
\item{argument2}{Integer. Bla bla bla.}
\item{argument2}{Character. Bla bla bla.}

Although one can most of the time deduce from the man page what mode 
should each argument be, I belive that it would enhance redeability 
if mode specification would be mandatory. I would also like to see 
that there is some sort of mandatory form i.e.

\item{argument2}{Character. Bla bla bla.}
                 ^a       ^b^c         ^d

a - lower or upper case
b - dot or colon or semicolon
c - lower or upper case
d - dot?

I understand that taking this as mandatory or proposed form, would 
probably make a lot of man pages "invalid", but it would enhance 
redeability on longer term.

Comments, thoughts, ...?

Lep pozdrav / With regards,
    Gregor Gorjanc

----------------------------------------------------------------------
University of Ljubljana
Biotechnical Faculty        URI: http://www.bfro.uni-lj.si/MR/ggorjan
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Slovenia, Europe
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"One must learn by doing the thing; for though you think you know it,
 you have no certainty until you try." Sophocles ~ 450 B.C.


[Rd] Form of \item{arg_i}{Description of arg_i.} in \arguments
Gorjanc Gregor