From pgilbert at bank-banque-canada.ca  Fri Dec 12 18:49:12 2003
From: pgilbert at bank-banque-canada.ca (Paul Gilbert)
Date: Fri Dec 12 18:49:03 2003
Subject: [Rd] Reorganization of packages in the R distribution
In-Reply-To: <Pine.LNX.4.44.0312121503140.13907-100000@gannet.stats>
References: <Pine.LNX.4.44.0312121503140.13907-100000@gannet.stats>
Message-ID: <3FD9FF98.1000601@bankofcanada.ca>

If  I understand this change correctly, I think is wrong for R-core to 
think it is a small change. It has much more serious consequences for me 
than any changes introduced  R 1.0. It definitely should not be 
introduced at a dot level release unless there is a fairly simple 
mechanism to deal with the implications. It breaks  6 of my 9 packages 
on CRAN at a fairly fundamental level,  2 more at a less serious level,  
and some packages I have not yet release.

Perhaps my programming technique is not correct. I always considered 
this trick to be a work-around for a short coming in R/S.   The issue is 
that the correct way to do this needs to be implemented before the trick 
that allows a work-around is eliminated.

Paul Gilbert

Prof Brian Ripley wrote:

>On Fri, 12 Dec 2003, Paul Gilbert wrote:
>
>  
>
>>Prof Brian Ripley wrote:
>>
>>    
>>
>>>There are a small number of CRAN packages that attempt to modify system
>>>functions and so will need updating.  (Known examples are in dse:tframe,
>>>gregmisc and mclust and some testing code elsewhere.)
>>>
>>>      
>>>
>>Brian
>>
>>What do you mean by "updating?"  In tframe I modify a few functions like
>>
>>     start <- function (x, ...) if (is.Ttframed(x)) start(tframe(x), 
>>...) else UseMethod("start")
>>
>>If that can no longer be done then this is a serious fundamental change 
>>that breaks all my code. I hope that is not what you mean. I'm just 
>>going away for a week, but will follow up when I return.
>>    
>>
>
>It's always been incorrect code, and it no longer works.  You should not
>be masking system generics, as the namespace registration mechanism does
>not work on your version.
>
>  
>


[Rd] Reorganization of packages in the R distribution
Paul Gilbert