Re: [Rd] Posting Guide - help.request() function?
Okay, here's the update.
I've created a new function create.post() (with Windows and Unix
versions) which would be the internal function that creates the post
template ready to edit and optionally send. In the Windows version I've
added an experimental method == "mailto" option, which will open the
post template in the default mailer (e.g. Outlook) ready to edit and
post. Maybe a Unix version would also be nice, e.g.
browseURL("mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] bug&body=%0A<bug report here>>%0A%0A%0A%0A--please do not edit the information
below--%0A%0AVersion:%0A platform = x86_64-unknown-linux-gnu%0A ...")
would open the post template in e.g. Thunderbird, but has the side
effect of opening an empty page in the web browser. I don't know if
there's a neater solution?
The create.post() function is basically the old bug.report() with two
extra arguments: 'description' (e.g. "bug report") and 'instructions'
(e.g. "\\n<>\\n") for customization. It could be
used directly e.g to post to R-devel with session information.
The new bug.report() simply calls create.post() with the appropriate
arguments.
The improved help-request() function calls create.post() after running
through the checks described before.
In response to Gabor's comments, help.request():
- now checks packages are up-to-date and gives option to update
on-the-fly (user may not know whether involved in query, so check all)
- keeps default mailing options as in old bug.report() but
create.post() gives clearer message ("Email the post now?\n (yes/no)")
requiring definite response ("yes" vs "y")
- still uses online documents because some are only available online
(R Site Search, posting guide), it ensures the most up-to-date
documentation is used, and it allows direction to global FAQ page,
avoiding need to check whether user is on Windows/Mac
- uses more robust method of checking R version is up-to-date
I've also written a help file for help.request() which includes the
method="mailto" option. The help file for bug.report would need updating
if this option was kept.
Best wishes,
Heather
Martin Maechler wrote:
>>>>> "HT" == Heather Turner <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
>>>>> on Mon, 09 Jun 2008 17:21:17 +0100 writes:
HT> Thanks for the helpful tips and suggestions, I'll work
HT> them in. You get local versions of the documents on Unix
HT> too - RShowDoc() will do the trick.
HT> I'll post an updated version in due course,
Thank you, Heather and Gabor (and the other contributors).
Indeed, I too like the idea of providing a new R function for
this.
Ideally, Heather, you'd try to "factor out" some of the common
functionality of bug.report() and help.request() into a few
utils-namespace hidden auxiliary functions.
Ideally, you'd attach text/plain attachments (base64 encoded) so
there won't be line wrap arounds.
Martin
HT> Gabor Grothendieck wrote:
>> That's an excellent idea.
>>
>> One other item that could be checkable would be if the
>> user has the most recent versions of the packages
>> involved in the query. Perhaps it could display the
>> unupdated packages and ask the user if any of those are
>> involved in the query.
>>
>> Probably needs to give fair warning that it is sending
>> off an email so people don't wind up sending out emails
>> when they are really just trying out the system.
>> Probably "none" should be the default for email so that
>> its not regarded as obnoxious.
>>
>> Might be nice if it used local versions of documents if
>> they exist locally. On Windows they do.
>>
>> Check out ?getRversion
>>
>> On Mon, Jun 9, 2008 at 10:35 AM, Dr Heather Turner
>> <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
>>> Whilst it is a good idea to improve the posting guide,
>>> it seems to me that it would be useful to have a
>>> function along the lines of bug.report(), to help a
>>> potential questioner make sure they have done their
>>> homework and have the relevant information to put into a
>>> post to R-help.
>>>
>>> Even those of us who know what ought to go into a post
>>> can sometimes forget to check something obvious - I
>>> recently got caught out by not checking an error was
>>> reproducible in the patched version for example.
>>>
>>> So I have written a help.request() function (see below),
>>> which - prompts the user to check the relev
Re: [Rd] Posting Guide - help.request() function?
Thanks for the helpful tips and suggestions, I'll work them in. You get
local versions of the documents on Unix too - RShowDoc() will do the trick.
I'll post an updated version in due course,
Heather
Gabor Grothendieck wrote:
That's an excellent idea.
One other item that could be checkable would
be if the user has the most recent versions of the packages involved
in the query.Perhaps it could display the unupdated packages
and ask the user if any of those are involved in the query.
Probably needs to give fair warning that it is sending
off an email so people don't wind up sending out emails when they
are really just trying out the system. Probably "none" should be the
default for email so that its not regarded as obnoxious.
Might be nice if it used local versions of documents if they exist
locally. On Windows they do.
Check out ?getRversion
On Mon, Jun 9, 2008 at 10:35 AM, Dr Heather Turner
<[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
Whilst it is a good idea to improve the posting guide, it seems to me that
it would be useful to have a function along the lines of bug.report(), to
help a potential questioner make sure they have done their homework and have
the relevant information to put into a post to R-help.
Even those of us who know what ought to go into a post can sometimes forget
to check something obvious - I recently got caught out by not checking an
error was reproducible in the patched version for example.
So I have written a help.request() function (see below), which
- prompts the user to check the relevant resources, stopping and opening the
relevant url where necessary
- checks their R version is up-to-date (in a rather messy way - please
suggest improvements!)
- prompts them to prepare appropriate example code and test it in a fresh R
session
- prompts them to give a meaningful subject line
- automatically adds system info to the post (as in bug.report)
- sends the message for them (ensuring a fresh thread is started)
Is this an idea worth taking further? I would be happy to make improvements
as suggested and write a help file if so.
Heather
help.request <- function (subject = "",
ccaddress = Sys.getenv("USER"),
method = getOption("mailer"),
address = "[EMAIL PROTECTED]",
file = "R.help.request")
{
no <- function(answer) answer == "n"
yes <- function(answer) answer == "y"
go <- function(url) {
cat("Please do this first - the site has been loaded in your web
browser\n")
browseURL(url)
}
cat("Checklist:\n")
post <- readline("Have you read the posting guide? (y/n) ")
if (no(post)) return(go("http://www.r-project.org/posting-guide.html";))
FAQ <- readline("Have you checked the FAQ? (y/n) ")
if (no(FAQ)) return(go("http://cran.r-project.org/faqs.html";))
intro <- readline("Have you checked An Introduction to R? (y/n) ")
if (no(intro))
return(go("http://cran.r-project.org/doc/manuals/R-intro.html";))
NEWS <- readline("Have you checked the NEWS of the latest development
release? (y/n) ")
if (no(NEWS)) return(go("https://svn.r-project.org/R/trunk/NEWS";))
rsitesearch <- readline("Have you looked on RSiteSearch? (y/n) ")
if (no(rsitesearch)) {
cat("Please do this first - the site has been loaded in your web
browser\n")
return(RSiteSearch(subject))
}
inf <- sessionInfo()
if ("otherPkgs" %in% names(inf)){
other <- readline("You have packages other than the base packages
loaded.",
"\nIf your query relates to one of these, have you
",
"checked any corresponding books/manuals \nand ",
"considered contacting the package maintainer?
(y/n/NA) ")
if(no(other)) return("Please do this first.")
}
man <- url("http://cran.r-project.org/manuals.html";)
ver <- scan(man, what = character(0), sep = "\n", skip = 13, nlines = 1,
quiet = TRUE)
major <- as.numeric(substr(ver, start = 18, stop = 18))
minor <- as.numeric(substr(ver, start = 20, stop = 22))
if (major < as.numeric(R.Version()$major) ||
minor < as.numeric(R.Version()$major)) {
update <- readline("Your R version is out-of-date, would you like to
update now? (y/n) ")
if (yes(update)) {
return(go(getOption("repos")))
}
}
## To get long prompt!
cat("Have you written example code that is\n",
"- minimal\n - reproducible\n - self-contained\n - commented",
"\
Re: [Rd] Posting Guide - help.request() function?
Whilst it is a good idea to improve the posting guide, it seems to me
that it would be useful to have a function along the lines of
bug.report(), to help a potential questioner make sure they have done
their homework and have the relevant information to put into a post to
R-help.
Even those of us who know what ought to go into a post can sometimes
forget to check something obvious - I recently got caught out by not
checking an error was reproducible in the patched version for example.
So I have written a help.request() function (see below), which
- prompts the user to check the relevant resources, stopping and opening
the relevant url where necessary
- checks their R version is up-to-date (in a rather messy way - please
suggest improvements!)
- prompts them to prepare appropriate example code and test it in a
fresh R session
- prompts them to give a meaningful subject line
- automatically adds system info to the post (as in bug.report)
- sends the message for them (ensuring a fresh thread is started)
Is this an idea worth taking further? I would be happy to make
improvements as suggested and write a help file if so.
Heather
help.request <- function (subject = "",
ccaddress = Sys.getenv("USER"),
method = getOption("mailer"),
address = "[EMAIL PROTECTED]",
file = "R.help.request")
{
no <- function(answer) answer == "n"
yes <- function(answer) answer == "y"
go <- function(url) {
cat("Please do this first - the site has been loaded in your
web browser\n")
browseURL(url)
}
cat("Checklist:\n")
post <- readline("Have you read the posting guide? (y/n) ")
if (no(post)) return(go("http://www.r-project.org/posting-guide.html";))
FAQ <- readline("Have you checked the FAQ? (y/n) ")
if (no(FAQ)) return(go("http://cran.r-project.org/faqs.html";))
intro <- readline("Have you checked An Introduction to R? (y/n) ")
if (no(intro))
return(go("http://cran.r-project.org/doc/manuals/R-intro.html";))
NEWS <- readline("Have you checked the NEWS of the latest
development release? (y/n) ")
if (no(NEWS)) return(go("https://svn.r-project.org/R/trunk/NEWS";))
rsitesearch <- readline("Have you looked on RSiteSearch? (y/n) ")
if (no(rsitesearch)) {
cat("Please do this first - the site has been loaded in your
web browser\n")
return(RSiteSearch(subject))
}
inf <- sessionInfo()
if ("otherPkgs" %in% names(inf)){
other <- readline("You have packages other than the base
packages loaded.",
"\nIf your query relates to one of these,
have you ",
"checked any corresponding books/manuals \nand ",
"considered contacting the package
maintainer? (y/n/NA) ")
if(no(other)) return("Please do this first.")
}
man <- url("http://cran.r-project.org/manuals.html";)
ver <- scan(man, what = character(0), sep = "\n", skip = 13, nlines
= 1, quiet = TRUE)
major <- as.numeric(substr(ver, start = 18, stop = 18))
minor <- as.numeric(substr(ver, start = 20, stop = 22))
if (major < as.numeric(R.Version()$major) ||
minor < as.numeric(R.Version()$major)) {
update <- readline("Your R version is out-of-date, would you
like to update now? (y/n) ")
if (yes(update)) {
return(go(getOption("repos")))
}
}
## To get long prompt!
cat("Have you written example code that is\n",
"- minimal\n - reproducible\n - self-contained\n - commented",
"\nusing data that is either\n",
"- constructed by the code\n - loaded by data()\n",
"- reproduced using dump(\"mydata\", file = \"\")\n")
code <- readline(paste("have you checked this code in a fresh R
session",
"\n(invoking R with the --vanilla option if
possible)",
"\nand is this code copied to the clipboard?
(y/n) "))
if (no(code))
return(cat("\nIf your query is not directly related to code",
"(e.g. a general query \nabout R's capabilities),",
"email [EMAIL PROTECTED] directly. ",
"\nOtherwise prepare some example code first.\n"))
change <- readline(paste("Would you like to change your subject
line:\n",
subject, "\nto something more meaningful?
(y/n) "))
if (yes(change))
subject <- readline("Enter subject: \n")
methods <- c("mailx", "gnudoit", "none", "ess")
method <- if (is.null(method))
"none"
else methods[pmatch(method, methods)]
body <- paste("\\n>",
"\\n<>\\n\\n\\n\\n",
"--please do not edit the information below--\\n\\n",
"Version:\\n ", paste(names(R.version), R.version,
sep =
[Rd] str and class
In previous versions of the gnm package, the terms component of "gnm" objects had a "classID" attribute. This caused problems when used with str as the following simple example illustrates: > x <- 1 > attr(x, "classID") <- "type1" > str(x) Class 'type1' Class 'type1' Class 'type1' Class 'type1' Class 'type1' ... Error: evaluation nested too deeply: infinite recursion / options(expressions=)? The problem is that for S3 objects, str saves attr(object, "class") then recalls str on unclass(object) -- any "class" attribute is removed, but then the "classID" attribute is recursively picked up by attr(object, "class") due to partial matching. Obviously the solution is to use more sensibly named attributes, but str could be made more foolproof by using attr(object, "class", exact = TRUE) instead. Best regards, Heather -- Dr H Turner Research Fellow Dept. of Statistics The University of Warwick Coventry CV4 7AL Tel: 024 76575870 Fax: 024 76524532 Url: www.warwick.ac.uk/go/heatherturner __ R-devel@r-project.org mailing list https://stat.ethz.ch/mailman/listinfo/r-devel
