Re: [Rd] proposed changes to RSiteSearch

From: spencerg <spencer.graves_at_prodsyse.com> Date: Fri, 05 Jun 2009 17:32:11 -0700 · >>>> make it as easy as possible for R users to find what they want in

      Thanks again for all your suggestions.
      Best Wishes,
      Spencer


> On 6/5/2009 9:41 AM, spencerg wrote:
>> Liaw, Andy wrote:
>>> From: spencerg
>>>  


>>>>       Thank you all for your suggestions.  My goal with this is to 


>>>>


>>>>       What do you think about renaming the current 


>>>>


>>>>       I'm happy to support the consensus of this group on a name 


>>>>


>>>>       Thanks,


>>>>       Spencer         


>>>
>>> [I've removed those on cc since I believe everyone will get this 
>>> through
>>> R-devel anyway...]
>>>
>>> I'd suggest something like findFunction() or some such, if the main 
>>> goal
>>> is to look for functions (not manuals, vignettes, mailing lists, etc.).
>>>   
>>       "findFunction" sounds to me like the best name I've heard so far. 
>
> But it isn't looking for functions, it's looking for help pages about 
> functions.  Another possibility is ???, e.g.
>
> ???topic
>
> This is done by masking the utils function `?`, and you'd have to be 
> careful to pass along requests with one or two (or more than three?) 
> question marks to the original; it also feels a bit strange to type
>
> hits <- ???topic
>
> though I think it's syntactic and well-defined.  I'm not sure how 
> you'd include your optional arguments, it would be really weird (but 
> again well defined) to say
>
> z <- ???spline(maxPages = 2)
>
> (Your first example in ?RSiteSearch.function, translated).
>
> Duncan Murdoch
>
>>
>>> RSiteSearch() was named what it was because it was meant as an 
>>> interface
>>> to Jon's search site that has lots of things related to R. 
>>> It seems to me that the recent discussion has been about including 
>>> other
>>> alternative search engines, etc.  Recall that when we were discussing
>>> including RSiteSearch() into base R, Jon basically had to commit to
>>> maintaining the site, as well as documenting how to replicate the site
>>> if and when he could no longer maintain it, before R Core accepted the
>>> function.  I think it would be wonderful to have a search facility
>>> that's all encompassing ("Roogle"?), but for inclusion into base R we
>>> really need to have the sites being searched being basically permenant.
>>>
>>> Perhaps a bit OT, but what would really be nice is if a search facility
>>> can not only find functions that's related to some search phrase, but
>>> also indicate whether the packages the functions belong to have already
>>> been installed on the user's system.  Sort of like "yum info" or "yum
>>> search" for those on RedHat-based Linux...
>>>   
>>       The current RSiteSeach package includes that adds other 
>> information from packageDescription to the package summary, adding 
>> (current default) "Title", "Version", "Author", "Maintainer", and 
>> (date) "Packaged".  If the package is not installed, these fields are 
>> left blank.  I've used this to prioritize which packages (and then 
>> which functions) I should consider first.
>>
>>       Best Wishes,
>>       Spencer
>>
>>> Best,
>>> Andy
>>>
>>>
>>>  
>>>  

>>>>> On Thu, Jun 4, 2009 at 12:13 PM, Duncan Murdoch       

>>>>>        
>>>>>> Gabor Grothendieck wrote:
>>>>>>            
>>>>>>> On Thu, Jun 4, 2009 at 1:58 AM, Duncan Murdoch           

>>>>>>> wrote:
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>                
>>>>>>>> spencerg wrote:
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>                    
>>>>>>>>> Hello All:
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>     What do you think of adding a function "RSiteSeach" 
>>>>>>>>>               

>>>>>>>>> of
>>>>>>>>> that name, masking the "RSiteSearch" function in               

>>>>>>>>> call
>>>>>>>>> RSiteSearch('searchstring', 'function') to the current
>>>>>>>>> RSiteSearch.function
>>>>>>>>> and passing all others to "utils:::RSiteSearch"?  This 
>>>>>>>>>               

>>>>>>>>> a
>>>>>>>>> referee to a manuscript on this new capability               

>>>>>>>>>  The current version of this manuscript is available via
>>>>>>>>> "system.file('doc',
>>>>>>>>> 'RSiteSearch.pdf', package='RSiteSearch')" if you have 
>>>>>>>>>               

>>>>>>>>> package installed.
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>                         
>>>>>>>> I suppose this depends on your long term plans for the             

>>>>>>>> package.
>>>>>>>>  If you think it should eventually replace the utils             

>>>>>>>> makes
>>>>>>>> sense to use the same name:  users won't get used to a             

>>>>>>>> meantime.  But if you think it will diverge from that             

>>>>>>>> might as well pick a separate name now.
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> I disagree with Gabor about this being heavy handed, at 
>>>>>>>>             

>>>>>>>> the only significant export in the package.  If people             

>>>>>>>> don't
>>>>>>>> attach the package.
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>                     
>>>>>>> The last sentence only gives you a choice of clobbering           

>>>>>>> function or not using it and that is not very nice.             

>>>>>>> both to be able to use it and allow it to coexist in a nice way.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>                 
>>>>>> It is essentially a rename of the existing one to         

>>>>>> would only suggest this if RSiteSearch::RSiteSearch expanded on its
>>>>>> capabilities (which I think was Spencer's proposal),         

>>>>>> them with something different.
>>>>>>
>>>>>>            
>>>>>>> How about R changing its RSiteSearch to be an S3 generic with the
>>>>>>> main functionality being placed into RSiteSearch.default?   Then
>>>>>>> RSiteSearch.function can become RsiteSearch.character and
>>>>>>>  - RSiteSearch will give the new functionality when the package is
>>>>>>> loaded and the old functionality if not.
>>>>>>> - RSiteSearch.character can be used in place of           

>>>>>>> to force only the new functionality (or an error if not present)
>>>>>>> - RSiteSearch.default will give the old functionality           

>>>>>>> package is loaded
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> (If there is a NAMESPACE then Its assumed here that both           

>>>>>>> exported.)
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>                 
>>>>>> How is that an improvement?  Just replace your (RSiteSearch,
>>>>>> RSiteSearch.character, RSiteSearch.default) with (RSiteSearch,
>>>>>> RSiteSearch::RSiteSearch, utils::RSiteSearch) in my         

>>>>>> same behaviour.  The point isn't that Spencer has invented         

>>>>>> RSiteSearch to handle character vectors, it already knows         

>>>>>> is that he has enhanced it.  Or maybe he has written         

>>>>>> different, in which case he should pick a new name.
>>>>>> Duncan Murdoch
>>>>>>
>>>>>>             
>>>>> He simply renames it RSiteSearch.character (and possibly some other
>>>>> changes depending on arguments). Then if the core cooperates
>>>>> by making RSiteSearch a generic with a default method then       

>>>>> works as one would expect based on an understanding of S3.
>>>>>
>>>>> No conflicts in names are involved.
>>>>>
>>>>> ______________________________________________
>>>>> R-devel_at_r-project.org mailing list
>>>>> https://stat.ethz.ch/mailman/listinfo/r-devel
>>>>>
>>>>>         


>>>>     

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