As a first step, this sounds like something for the 'tools' package, e.g. tools::cleanup_R_user_dir() that wipes package subfolders of packages no longer installed, or the specified package, iff given. With that in place, one could argue for adding a 'cleanup' argument to remove.packages() that use the former.
Agree, it would be neat if a package could clean up after itself when uninstalled. /Henrik On Thu, Jan 2, 2025 at 1:37 PM Lluís Revilla <lluis.revi...@gmail.com> wrote: > > Dear Duncan, > > Thank you for your answer. I checked again and made a mock package > that removes a file with .onDetach. > The file was not removed upon uninstalling the package. > > Lluís > > On Thu, 2 Jan 2025 at 17:23, Duncan Murdoch <murdoch.dun...@gmail.com> wrote: > > > > On 2025-01-02 9:55 a.m., Lluís Revilla wrote: > > > Hi list, > > > > > > I am developing a package that will download some data, and I'd like > > > to store it locally to not recalculate it often. > > > The CRAN policy requires tools::R_user_dir to be used and "the > > > contents are actively managed (including removing outdated material)" > > > or using TMPDIR but "such usage should be cleaned up". > > > > > > When loading a package there is .onLoad or .onAttach to fill or check > > > those files and other settings required for a package. Is there > > > something for when a package is removed? > > > > > > I found some related functions like .Last or reg.fnalizer and setHook > > > or packageEvent but they are about closing a session or don't have a > > > specific event for when uninstalling packages via (remove.packages). I > > > appreciate any feedback, thanks in advance. > > > > > > > Yes, those are described in section "1.5.3 Load hooks" of writing R > > extensions: > > > > "Packages can use a .onDetach or .Last.lib function (provided the latter > > is exported from the namespace) when detach is called on the package. It > > is called with a single argument, the full path to the installed > > package. There is also a hook .onUnload which is called when the > > namespace is unloaded (via a call to unloadNamespace, perhaps called by > > detach(unload = TRUE)) with argument the full path to the installed > > package’s directory. Functions .onUnload and .onDetach should be defined > > in the namespace and not exported, but .Last.lib does need to be exported." > > > > Duncan Murdoch > > > > ______________________________________________ > R-package-devel@r-project.org mailing list > https://stat.ethz.ch/mailman/listinfo/r-package-devel ______________________________________________ R-package-devel@r-project.org mailing list https://stat.ethz.ch/mailman/listinfo/r-package-devel
