From rossini@blindglobe.net  Thu Nov  2 20:05:09 2000
From: rossini@blindglobe.net (A.J. Rossini)
Date: 02 Nov 2000 12:05:09 -0800
Subject: [Rd] how to extract directory with HTML version of help pages?
In-Reply-To: <Pine.GSO.4.05.10011021946290.29410-100000@auk.stats>
 (Prof Brian D Ripley's message of "Thu, 2 Nov 2000 19:58:06 +0000 (GMT)")
References: <87itq617l4.fsf@jeeves.blindglobe.net>
 <Pine.GSO.4.05.10011021946290.29410-100000@auk.stats>
Message-ID: <87em0u16oa.fsf@jeeves.blindglobe.net>

>>>>> "PBDR" == Prof Brian D Ripley <ripley@stats.ox.ac.uk> writes:

    PBDR> But it's whateverlibrary/package/html/whateverfunction.html

Correct, I'm slipping.

    PBDR> You both overlooked the package part and the possibility of
    PBDR> multiple libraries. (To make sure we have the terminology
    PBDR> straight, in R there are libraries of packages, and in S
    PBDR> libraries of sections (S3) or chapters (S4).  I didn't
    PBDR> invent this ....)

    PBDR> Since ESS apparently asks R for the text help page (or it
    PBDR> does it just grab the contents?), it could in principle do
    PBDR> the same for the html help page.  That is, help could be
    PBDR> asked when running under ESS to return the filename, not
    PBDR> send the file to the OS to be viewed (Windows) or call
    PBDR> `browser -remote "openURL(foo.html)' on it.

ESS does the equivalent of cut-and-paste between the prompts.

So if there was an option to return the html, Emacs could render it
(provided W3 was installed).

This would be an adequate solution, and easier that the one I
proposed. 

    PBDR> As far as I can see only the running R session can do this
    PBDR> correctly, and it tooks several goes to get it right (if we
    PBDR> have).  What the right file is depends on the history of the
    PBDR> R session.

Which was part of the point of querying the session (I think I
mis-stated run-time, but I meant at the time point of the 
        help() 
call.

Thanks, this helps.

best,
-tony

-- 
A.J. Rossini				Rsrch. Asst. Prof. of Biostatistics
BlindGlobe Networks (home/default)	rossini@blindglobe.net	
UW Biostat/Center for AIDS Research	rossini@u.washington.edu	
FHCRC/SCHARP/HIV Vaccine Trials Net	rossini@scharp.org

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[Rd] how to extract directory with HTML version of help pages?
A.J. Rossini