remotes has fewer dependencies. I believe that the current version of devtools just re-exports install_github etc. from the remotes package.
On 2019-02-02 11:31 a.m., David Lindelof wrote: > I see some value in Duncan’s proposal to implement this as an extra package > instead of a change to base R, if only to see if the idea has legs. I’m > minded to do so myself using your suggestion, but is there a particular > reason why you recommend using the remotes package instead of devtools? The > latter seems to have the same functions I would need, and I believe it is > more widely installed that remotes? > > Kind regards, > > From: Duncan Murdoch <murdoch.dun...@gmail.com> <murdoch.dun...@gmail.com> > Reply: Duncan Murdoch <murdoch.dun...@gmail.com> <murdoch.dun...@gmail.com> > Date: 2 February 2019 at 15:37:16 > To: Barry Rowlingson <b.rowling...@lancaster.ac.uk> > <b.rowling...@lancaster.ac.uk>, Abs Spurdle <spurdl...@gmail.com> > <spurdl...@gmail.com> > Cc: r-devel <r-devel@r-project.org> <r-devel@r-project.org> > Subject: Re: [Rd] Runnable R packages > > On 02/02/2019 8:27 a.m., Barry Rowlingson wrote: >> I don't think anyone denies that you *could* make an EXE to do all >> that. The discussion is on *how easy* it should be to create a single >> file that contains an initial "main" function plus a set of bundled >> code (potentially as a package) and which when run will install its >> package code (which is contained in itself, its not in a repo), >> install dependencies, and run the main() function. >> >> Now, I could build a self-executable shar file that bundled a package >> together with a script to do all the above. But if there was a "RUN" >> command in R, and a convention that a function called "foo::main" >> would be run by `R CMD RUN foo_1.1.1.tar.gz` then it would be so much >> easier to develop and test. > > I don't believe the "so much easier" argument that this requires a > change to base R. If you put that functionality into a package, then > the only extra effort the user would require is to install that other > package. After that, they could run > > Rscript -e "yourpackage::run_main('foo_1.1.1.tar.gz')" > > as I suggested before. This is no harder than running > > R CMD RUN foo_1.1.1.tar.gz > > The advantage of this from R Core's perspective is that you would be > developing and maintaining "yourpackage", you wouldn't be passing the > burden on to them. The advantage from your perspective is that you > could work with whatever packages you liked. The "remotes" package has > almost everything you need so that "yourpackage" could be nearly > trivial. You wouldn't need to duplicate it within base R. > > Duncan Murdoch > >> >> If people think this adds value, then if they want to offer that value >> to me as $ or £, I'd consider writing it if their total value was more >> than my cost.... >> >> Barry >> >> >> On Sat, Feb 2, 2019 at 12:54 AM Abs Spurdle <spurdl...@gmail.com> wrote: >>> >>> Further to my previous post, >>> it would be possible to create an .exe file, say: >>> >>> my_r_application.exe >>> >>> That starts R, loads your R package(s), calls the R function of your > choice >>> and does whatever else you want. >>> >>> However, I don't think that it would add much value. >>> But feel free to correct me if you think that I'm wrong. >>> >>> [[alternative HTML version deleted]] >>> >>> ______________________________________________ >>> R-devel@r-project.org mailing list >>> https://stat.ethz.ch/mailman/listinfo/r-devel >> >> ______________________________________________ >> R-devel@r-project.org mailing list >> https://stat.ethz.ch/mailman/listinfo/r-devel >> > > ______________________________________________ > R-devel@r-project.org mailing list > https://stat.ethz.ch/mailman/listinfo/r-devel > > > David Lindelöf, Ph.D. > +41 (0)79 415 66 41 <//415 66 41> or skype:david.lindelof > http://computersandbuildings.com > Follow me on Twitter: > http://twitter.com/dlindelof > > [[alternative HTML version deleted]] > > ______________________________________________ > R-devel@r-project.org mailing list > https://stat.ethz.ch/mailman/listinfo/r-devel > ______________________________________________ R-devel@r-project.org mailing list https://stat.ethz.ch/mailman/listinfo/r-devel