From Martin Maechler <maechler@stat.math.ethz.ch>  Thu Nov 12 09:33:54 1998
From: Martin Maechler <maechler@stat.math.ethz.ch> (Martin Maechler)
Date: Thu, 12 Nov 1998 10:33:54 +0100
Subject: [COL/ROW]NAMES -> [col/row]names with new arg..
In-Reply-To: <199811120909.KAA10692@sophie.ethz.ch> (message from Martin
 Maechler on Thu, 12 Nov 1998 10:09:47 +0100)
Message-ID: <199811120933.KAA10735@sophie.ethz.ch>

R-devel subscribers:  this came from R-core,
		      but may interest you....

>>>>> "MM" == Martin Maechler <maechler@stat.math.ethz.ch> writes:

>>>>> "Ross" == Ross Ihaka <ihaka@stat.auckland.ac.nz> writes:
    Ross> Martin Maechler writes:
    >>> Actually, I've been thinking (and asking Kurt) if we shouldn't use
    >>> 
    >>> 'variable.names' and 'case.names' with a new logical argument that
    >>> allows to coerce a [col/row]names character vector (instead of
    >>> NULL) { Kurt suggested something along case.names(x,
    >>> construct.char.vector.if.NULL = FALSE) } instead of introducing yet
    >>> another two functions.
    >>> 
    >>> If you think I should do the change, I'll do it -- still before
    >>> release.
    >>> 
    >>> Once COLNAMES & ROWNAMES are introduced, it will be more of a pain
    >>> to deprecate them again....

    Ross> As someone who has introduced new functions (and later regretted
    Ross> it) I'd say that you sould resist the temptation to introduce
    Ross> COLNAMES and ROWNAMES if at all possible.

    Ross> Would it be possible to just change the behavior of the current
    Ross> rownames and colnames?  I don't imagine that it would break much.

    MM> Ok, I'll do this

    MM> 	colnames(x, char.return = FALSE, prefix = "col")
    MM> 	rownames(x, char.return = FALSE, prefix = "row")

Or would
	 	colnames(x, maybe.NULL = TRUE, prefix = "col")
	 	rownames(x, maybe.NULL = TRUE, prefix = "row")
even preferable?
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[COL/ROW]NAMES -> [col/row]names with new arg..
Martin Maechler