Martin Maechler wrote: >>>>>> "JH" == Johannes Huesing <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> >>>>>> on Thu, 22 Nov 2007 22:14:57 +0100 writes: > > JH> Antony Unwin <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> [Thu, Nov 22, > JH> 2007 at 12:43:07PM CET]: > >> There have been several constructive responses to John > >> Sorkin's comment, but none of them are fully > >> satisfactory. Of course, if you know the name of the > >> function you are looking for, there are lots of ways to > >> search ? provided that everyone calls the function by a > >> name that matches your search. > > JH> I follow the suggestion to Google (mostly restricted by > JH> site:cran.r-project.org) which gets me quite far. > > >> If you think there might be a function, but you don't > >> know the name, then you have to be lucky in how you > >> search. R is a language and the suggestions so far seem > >> to me like dictionary suggestions, whereas maybe what > >> John is looking for is something more like a thesarus. > > JH> This is hard to do in a collaborative effort. One > JH> analogue is the HOWTOs vs the man pages which I see in > JH> Linux. Some of the HOWTOs are outstanding, the only > JH> problem they are facing is that they tend to be out of > JH> date. > > >> > >> R packages are a strange collection, as befits a growing > >> language. There are large packages, small packages, good > >> packages (and not so good packages), personal mixtures of > >> tools in packages, packages to accompany books, > >> superceded packages, unusual packages, everything. Above > >> all there are lots of packages. As the software editor > >> of the Journal of Statistical Software I suggested we > >> should review R packages. > > JH> You mean: prior to submission? > > >> No one has shown any enthusiasm for this suggestion, but > >> I think it would help. Any volunteers? > > JH> I am still putting some hope into the R Wiki. To my > JH> dismay it is also package oriented, > JH> not method-oriented. > > I don't think this is true; at least it's not at all intended. > I'll *exceptionally* am crossposting this to the R-Wiki Special > Interest Group.
The R-SIG-Wiki is there to discuss problems related to the Wiki. The Wiki itself, not the SIG, is the place where the information should go. Indeed, the R Wiki goal is NOT to help finding which package to use (at least, not directly), but it's primary goal is to collect together additional documentation around R and R packages contributed by the users. So, the question about how to efficiently find the right function and documentation is still open (CRAN Task Views associated with Googling R stuff is probably the way to go here). Although I am sure it is difficult to do, I also think that a review mechanism for packages would be nice. Another interesting approach is the test unit. It is already implemented, but should be used more intensively. The question is: could we maintain (and grow) a database of use cases, with examples datasets and typical results expected that we can use to test functions in R packages more intensively? Best, Philippe > JH> I tend to think that there is a chance > JH> of controlled documentation if somebody set out an > JH> infrastructure going beyond the current one. Anything > JH> like a classification of methods. > > JH> Thing is, I may like to volunteer, but not in the > JH> "here's a package for you to review by week 32" > JH> way. Rather in the way that I search a package which > JH> fits my problem. One package lets me down and I'd like > JH> to know other users and the maintainer about it. The > JH> other one works black magic and I'd like to drop a > JH> raving review about it. This needs an infrastructure > JH> with a low barrier to entry. A wiki is not the worst > JH> idea if the initial infrastructure is geared at > JH> addressing problems rather than packages. > > JH> -- Johannes H�sing > > > > ------------------------------------------------------------------------ > > _______________________________________________ > R-sig-wiki mailing list > [EMAIL PROTECTED] > https://stat.ethz.ch/mailman/listinfo/r-sig-wiki ______________________________________________ R-help@r-project.org mailing list https://stat.ethz.ch/mailman/listinfo/r-help PLEASE do read the posting guide http://www.R-project.org/posting-guide.html and provide commented, minimal, self-contained, reproducible code.
