From ripley at stats.ox.ac.uk  Sat Jan 24 15:19:59 2004
From: ripley at stats.ox.ac.uk (Prof Brian Ripley)
Date: Sat Jan 24 15:35:27 2004
Subject: [Rd] Another wishlist for R
In-Reply-To: <400E65EA.2080501@pburns.seanet.com>
Message-ID: <Pine.LNX.4.44.0401241416280.11292-100000@gannet.stats>

Add to package utils in R-devel, after correction.  I was surprised you
had fallen into the 1:0 trap:

> x <- character(0)
> head(x)
[1] NA

is not I think what anyone wants.

On Wed, 21 Jan 2004, Patrick Burns wrote:

> I vote utils.
> 
> Prof Brian Ripley wrote:
> 
> >Note that `R base' could mean the base package or the R distribution, and 
> >I don't know which is meant.  Could one of you please clarify?
> >
> >The base package in R-devel is much reduced, but these could be a 
> >candidates for the `utils' (or perhaps `tools') packages.
> >
> >On Wed, 21 Jan 2004, Patrick Burns wrote:
> >
> >  
> >
> >>Warnes, Gregory R wrote:
> >>
> >>    
> >>
> >>> 
> >>>
> >>>      
> >>>
> >>>>1. Add "head" and "tail" to R base.  
> >>>>  Patrick Burns has these: 
> >>>>http://www.burns-stat.com/pages/public.html#genutil
> >>>>  Very handy functions for checking data manipulation.
> >>>>   
> >>>>
> >>>>        
> >>>>
> >>>How about we just add these to a package available on CRAN?  How about we
> >>>just make a package of the Burns Statistics functions?  There are already
> >>>.Rd files...
> >>>
> >>>      
> >>>
> >>This sounds suspiciously like an editorial "we".
> >>
> >>I do have plans of a package of Burns Statistics functions, but haven't
> >>got around to it yet.  However, I do agree with Kevin that "head" and
> >>"tail" are good candidates for base (though I'm not sure it would be
> >>number 1 on my wishlist).  "head" and especially "tail" have value in
> >>programming as well as interactive use, which I think is a stronger
> >>argument for inclusion in base than just being handy interactively.  
> >>
> >>Patrick Burns
> >>
> >>Burns Statistics
> >>patrick@burns-stat.com
> >>+44 (0)20 8525 0696
> >>http://www.burns-stat.com
> >>(home of S Poetry and "A Guide for the Unwilling S User")
> >>
> >>    
> >>
> >>> 
> >>>
> >>>      
> >>>
> >>______________________________________________
> >>R-devel@stat.math.ethz.ch mailing list
> >>https://www.stat.math.ethz.ch/mailman/listinfo/r-devel
> >>
> >>
> >>    
> >>
> >
> >  
> >
> 
> 
> 
> 

-- 
Brian D. Ripley,                  ripley@stats.ox.ac.uk
Professor of Applied Statistics,  http://www.stats.ox.ac.uk/~ripley/
University of Oxford,             Tel:  +44 1865 272861 (self)
1 South Parks Road,                     +44 1865 272866 (PA)
Oxford OX1 3TG, UK                Fax:  +44 1865 272595


[Rd] Another wishlist for R
Prof Brian Ripley