From ggrothendieck at gmail.com  Sun May 21 20:41:46 2006
From: ggrothendieck at gmail.com (Gabor Grothendieck)
Date: Sun, 21 May 2006 14:41:46 -0400
Subject: [Rd] Suggesting changes to HELP files?
In-Reply-To: <4470B09A.7040803@pdf.com>
References: <44708B0A.1050409@pdf.com>
	<971536df0605210902u3810b9a4nf4f7c4d967e98e5@mail.gmail.com>
	<4470A206.1070703@pdf.com>
	<971536df0605211049l557b8d52tb8c18c1198947f93@mail.gmail.com>
	<4470B09A.7040803@pdf.com>
Message-ID: <971536df0605211141x62c92648hb63a4a84cf85ef49@mail.gmail.com>

I think there is or was some work on wikied help pages but
I don't think that it exists yet.  When I was referring to the wiki
I just meant that that was somewhere where you can post
material.

On 5/21/06, Spencer Graves <spencer.graves at pdf.com> wrote:
> Hi, Gabor:
>
> <see inline>
>
> Gabor Grothendieck wrote:
> > On 5/21/06, Spencer Graves <spencer.graves at pdf.com> wrote:
> >> Hi, Gabor:
> >>
> >>          Thanks.  My initial failed attempt to add to "R wiki"
> >> generated the
> >> following two questions:
> >>
> >>          1.  What's the best way to find the R Wiki from
> >> "www.r-project.org"?
> >>  I found it just now via RSiteSearch("R wiki").  Might it be reasonable
> >> to add, e.g., a hot link to "R Wiki" under "Documentation"?
> >
> > wiki.r-project.org will get you to it.  Hopefully there will be a link
> > from the R home page at some point.
> >
> >
> >>
> >>          2.  I just found a page that reads, 'R Wiki - Documentation
> >> The "Wikified" version of all R man pages. To access a given page, type
> >> the name of an R function in the search box at top right and click
> >> "search". Select the corresponding page in the search result.
> >>
> >> Alternatively, you can click the name of a function in an R code chunk
> >> anywhere.'  (http://wiki.r-project.org/rwiki/doku.php?id=rdoc:rdoc)
> >>
> >>          I tried searching for 'vignette' but failed to get anything
> >> useful.
> >> What am I missing?
> >
> > There is a search box in the upper right on the wiki if you want to search
> > or you can browse through the table of contents to find an appropriate
> > spot to add info.
> >
> SG:  I got the following from searching for 'vignette' using the box in
> the upper right:
>
> Search
>
> You can find the results of your search below. If you didn't find what
> you were looking for, you can create or edit the page named after your
> query with the appropriate button.
> Results
> ...
> guides:stats-with-r:01intro-to-r: 1 Hits
> ...ProbForecastGOP/doc/vignette.pdf...
>
> SG:  Clicking on "vignette" did nothing that I could see.  Clicking on
> "guides:..." sent me some place, but searching for "vignette" led me
> nowhere.
>
>          Someplace I thought I saw mention of "wikified" version(s) of all the
> help files.  Is that there, and I just don't know how to find it?  If
> not, is someone working on some auto-transfer protocol that would
> produce an initial version of such?  If yes, I wonder if I should wait
> until that's completed.  If no, then if I'm going to contribute to this
> 'wiki', I need to better understand how it works.
>
>           Thanks again,
>           Spencer Graves
> >>
> >> Gabor Grothendieck wrote:
> >> > You could consider adding something to the wiki while you are
> >> > waiting.
> >> >
> >> > On 5/21/06, Spencer Graves <spencer.graves at pdf.com> wrote:
> >> >>          Is there a procedure for suggesting changes to HELP files of
> >> >> the core
> >> >> R distribution?  If yes, what is it?  If it would be considered a
> >> >> friendly gesture, I could find the relevant *.Rd file and submit a
> >> >> suggested modification to it someplace.  Alternatively, I could just
> >> >> send suggestions someplace if they would receive appropriate
> >> >> consideration.
> >> >>
> >> >>          On many occasions, I think of modifications, e.g., additional
> >> >> examples, that could be added to 'help' pages that I believe would
> >> make
> >> >> it easier for people to understand how to use some R feature.
> >> Instead,
> >> >> I often provide the same answer multiple times to different posts.
> >> >>
> >> >>          I can think of two changes off the top of my head that I'd
> >> >> like to
> >> >> see:  First, many if not all of the helps page in the nlme and lme4
> >> >> packages should, I believe, include a reference Pinheiro and Bates.
> >> >> This is not the place for modesty on the part of Pinheiro, Bates, and
> >> >> co-workers.  I believe that many requests for help might be eliminated
> >> >> if such references were added.  Failing that, it would be easier for
> >> >> people like me to suggest someone read that book, because I wouldn't
> >> >> feel such a need to spell out the entire citation every time.
> >> >>
> >> >>          Second, I think the description of 'vignette' could be
> >> >> enhanced to
> >> >> include some version of my 'p.s.' to
> >> >> 'http://finzi.psych.upenn.edu/R/Rhelp02a/archive/73494.html' and other
> >> >> similar posts.  In particular, I see that the 'edit' method is
> >> described
> >> >> there, but I didn't understand what it said until I already knew
> >> how to
> >> >> use it.  Also, 'edit' doesn't work for me under ESS / Emacs.  For
> >> that,
> >> >> I use Stangle (as Sundar Dorai-Raj taught me).
> >> >>
> >> >>          Thanks,
> >> >>          Spencer Graves
> >> >>
> >> >> ______________________________________________
> >> >> R-devel at r-project.org mailing list
> >> >> https://stat.ethz.ch/mailman/listinfo/r-devel
> >> >>
> >>
> >
>



[Rd] Suggesting changes to HELP files?
Gabor Grothendieck