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
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