R-alpha: Using autoload and smaller 'base' package [was "Re: New Version"].

[Martin Maechler]

	[This is a "spill-over"  from the  "R-core"  mailing list,
	 since several of you may be interested and have comments ... -MM]

>>>>> "Thomas" == Thomas Lumley <thomas@biostat.washington.edu> writes:

    Thomas> On 29 Oct 1997, Peter Dalgaard BSA wrote:
    >> Perhaps we should revise the current contents of the base library
    >> and replace some noncrucial items with autoloads? (The ts stuff for
    >> instance, glm, maybe even lm).

    Thomas> It would be interesting to experiment along these lines.
    Thomas> Clearly if something is going to be loaded it saves time and
    Thomas> space to do it immediately, but if it isn't going to be used
    Thomas> it's better to keep it on disk.  Personally, I use glm nearly
    Thomas> every time I use R, but other people may have different needs.

    Thomas> The problem clearly isn't urgent, since the only library slated
    Thomas> for inclusion is ctest, which is nice and compact. However, a
    Thomas> configurable, modular approach seems like a good idea, and
    Thomas> works for emacs.  Given the desire to run R on small machines
    Thomas> we certainly can't follow the S-PLUS path of including
    Thomas> everything useful in the default set-up. For example, survival4
    Thomas> takes up a quarter of the cons cells using the default
    Thomas> settings, and nlme() (if we ever do it) will presumably be
    Thomas> fairly large as well.

NOTE: These things (libraries) are called ``packages'' from 0.60 on ..
					    --------

    Thomas> Perhaps this is more of a r-devel type comment?

Yes ! [and you see, I took the liberty ...]


Actually, I have thought along similar lines:
I think it is a neat concept to use autoload and  more than just the  'eda'
and 'mva'  libraries. 

BTW: Is it a good idea if I include  my  
	stepfun / ecdf     functions into a new library  'stepfun' ?
     ie. a library that belongs to the distribution instead of being contrib?
	
Martin
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