From pgilbert@bank-banque-canada.ca  Tue Oct 29 19:06:46 2002
From: pgilbert@bank-banque-canada.ca (Paul Gilbert)
Date: Tue, 29 Oct 2002 14:06:46 -0500
Subject: dependency in tests
References: <Pine.LNX.4.31.0210291821330.24823-100000@gannet.stats>
Message-ID: <3DBEDC46.91496922@bank-banque-canada.ca>

ripley@stats.ox.ac.uk wrote:
> 
> On Tue, 29 Oct 2002, Paul Gilbert wrote:
> 
> > I have a package in which the code does not depend on another package,
> > but tests do. Should the Depends line in the description indicate this
> > dependency or is requires() in the tests sufficient?
> 
> I find it very helpful to have the Depends line there.  Anyone who wants
> to run the tests needs the dependency, and builders of binary packages
> meet this very frequently.
> 
> I think this is even more cogent for the examples.

For the examples I have always assumed that one would not indicate
anything in the Depends line, and just put requires() in the example.
There is a trade-off here. I like to put in non-trivial examples (e.g.
using data from other packages), but if doing so means I should indicate
dependencies in addition to what the code needs, then I am reluctant to
add them. Perhaps we need something like

Depends.tests:
Depends.examples:
Depends.vignettes:

which are in addition to anything the code depends on.

Paul Gilbert
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dependency in tests
Paul Gilbert