From p.dalgaard@kubism.ku.dk  Tue Aug  5 14:40:40 1997
From: p.dalgaard@kubism.ku.dk (Peter Dalgaard BSA)
Date: 05 Aug 1997 15:40:40 +0200
Subject: R-alpha: Environment strangeness
In-Reply-To: Kurt Hornik's message of Tue, 5 Aug 1997 15:14:32 +0200
References: <199707300129.NAA21654@stat1.stat.auckland.ac.nz>
 <x2204gg2mf.fsf@bush.kubism.ku.dk>
 <199708051314.PAA22117@aragorn.ci.tuwien.ac.at>
Message-ID: <x2n2mw4ujr.fsf@bush.kubism.ku.dk>

Kurt Hornik <hornik@ci.tuwien.ac.at> writes:

> 
> >>>>> Peter Dalgaard BSA writes:
> 
> > Robert Gentleman <rgentlem@stat.auckland.ac.nz> writes:
> >> Ross and I have been back and forth on this one a few times already;
> >> it's probably a faq (Kurt);
> >                 ^^^^^
> 
> > This belongs on the *manual page*. I suggest something along these
> > lines:
> 
...
> 
> Perhaps as a compromise, we could put something like the above into the
> man page, AND I'll add something in the FAQ?

Certainly. A "Fine points" section in the FAQ would be very nice
indeed. It could contain several items of the "looks wrong, but isn't"
variety as well as "debatable, but it was done this way, because..."
and "bug compatible with S-Plus". 

On the other hand, the FAQ might not be the preferred document for
online help during programming, whereas the manpages would typically
be the first place to look. Therefore, it is a very good idea to put a
terse description of any counterintuitive behaviour on the man page. 

One could probably argue that the man page addition that I suggested
is a bit on the verbose side. "That won't work, do this instead"
should suffice on the man page, whereas a fuller explanation could go
in the FAQ.

-- 
   O__  ---- Peter Dalgaard             Blegdamsvej 3  
  c/ /'_ --- Dept. of Biostatistics     2200 Cph. N   
 (*) \(*) -- University of Copenhagen   Denmark      Ph: (+45) 35327918
~~~~~~~~~~ - (p.dalgaard@biostat.ku.dk)             FAX: (+45) 35327907
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R-alpha: Environment strangeness
Peter Dalgaard BSA