[Rd] Request: documenting more specifically language objects in the R Language Definition document

[Iago Giné Vázquez]

Dear  all,


This is a request to get language objects more documented in the R Language Definition document (CRAN version<https://cran.r-project.org/doc/manuals/r-release/R-lang.html>, ETHZ R-devel version<https://stat.ethz.ch/R-manual/R-devel/doc/manual/R-lang.html>).

Section '2.1.3 Language objects' claims
There are three types of objects that constitute the R language. They are calls, expressions, and names.
But then there is only a subsection '2.1.3.1 Symbol objects' which, if I do not understand wrongly, correspond to names subtype of language objects. It would be great if calls and expressions subtypes were specified with more detail as well. And also calls subtype 'formula'.

I came to here since when looking help for formula, it documents the stats function formula -Model Formula-, and it just says that it produces an object of class '"formula"' [...] and that a formula object has an associated environment [...]. Maybe this, and saying  that the mode of a formula is a call it is enough to describe a formula?

Same section 2.1.3 also claims

They can be [...] converted to and from lists by the as.list and as.call functions

It could be added also a description of how these lists should be (structured, their components, names, etc.) for the different language objects, that is, for names, expressions, calls, formulas and so on.

Thank you.

Best wishes,
Iago




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