From spencer.graves at prodsyse.com  Wed Mar 21 08:11:01 2012
From: spencer.graves at prodsyse.com (Spencer Graves)
Date: Wed, 21 Mar 2012 00:11:01 -0700
Subject: [Rd] S3 methods with full name in documentation?
In-Reply-To: <4F69323A.4020109@gmail.com>
References: <4F68EB23.5080201@prodsyse.com> <4F69323A.4020109@gmail.com>
Message-ID: <4F697F05.6040306@prodsyse.com>

Hi, Duncan:


On 3/20/2012 6:43 PM, Duncan Murdoch wrote:
> On 12-03-20 4:40 PM, Spencer Graves wrote:
>> Hello:
>>
>>
>>         Is there a recommended way to inform "R CMD check" that a
>> function like "as.numeric" is NOT a method for the S3 generic function
>> "as" for objects of class "numeric"?
>>
>>
>>         I ask, because I'm getting "NOTE" messages for many function
>> names like this (e.g., "density.fd" in the "fda" package):  If there
>> were a way to tell "R CMD check" that a function name is NOT a method
>> for an S3 generic, it would make it easier for me to see the messages I
>> should take seriously.
>
> I don't think so.  The problem you are seeing is that "density" is a 
> generic, so density.fd looks like a method for it.  In fact, if you 
> define an object of class "fd" and call density() on it while fda is 
> attached, your density.fd function will be called:
>
> > x <- structure(1, class="fd")
> > density(x)
> Error in inherits(WfdParobj, "fdPar") :
>   argument "WfdParobj" is missing, with no default
>
> So in fact, density.fd *is* an S3 method, even though you didn't know it.


       Well, yes, I guess I knew that, but I also knew that "density.fd" 
should not be called with the first argument having class "fd", even 
more that "as.numeric", which is also recognized as the "numeric" method 
for the presumed generic function "as".  [Yes, I know that "as" does not 
call methods dispatch such as "UseMethod" called by "density", so 
"as.numeric" is different from that perspective.]

>
> Nowadays every package has a namespace, and eventually maybe S3 
> methods that aren't declared in the namespace as S3 methods won't be 
> recognized as S3 methods.  But for now, the only real way around these 
> warnings is not to name things in a way that makes them appear to be 
> S3 methods.


       Thanks.  I asked, because I thought there might be something one 
could do in a NAMESPACE to avoid this.  "density.fd" has been around for 
some time, and picking a different name for it (and similar functions in 
the fda package) would break too much existing code and impose an 
unacceptable burden on long-time fda users to justify that option -- 
similar to "as.numeric".


       Thanks, again.


       Best Wishes,
       Spencer
>
> Duncan Murdoch



[Rd] S3 methods with full name in documentation?
Spencer Graves