[R] par(uin)

[Martin Maechler]

Thank you Bendix, 
{I hope it's okay if I CC my answer to your private mail to R-devel ..}

>>>>> On Wed, 27 Oct 1999 08:55:28 +0200, BXC@novo.dk (Bendix Carstensen) said:

    >> -----Original Message----- 
    >> From: Martin Maechler [mailto:maechler@stat.math.ethz.ch]
    >>  Sent: 25. oktober 1999 14:58 To:Gregory R. Warnes 
    >> Cc: R-help@stat.math.ethz.ch Subject: Re: [R]

    MM> par(uin)

    Bendix> (deleted)

    MM> BTW: "uin" gives ``inches per usr unit'' (not the reverse as you
    MM> suggest).
    MM> 
    MM> Should `R' provide "uin" (as read-only) par() ?

RFC:  Should we have it? or is it unnecessary featurism ?

    Bendix> Yes, but call it "ipu" if it returns inches per unit!


No, not "ipu" for two reasons:

1) 
   np <- names(par()); np[substring(np,2,3)=="in"]

currently gives

   [1] "cin" "din" "fin" "pin"

   (and S-plus has "uin" additionally)

And all of these give  
    ``<something> in inches''

For "uin" these would be

    ``user units in inches''
which *is* the same as
    ``inches per usr unit'' 

2) S compatibility..

 We don't want 100% S-compatibility in par() treatment,  
 {not repeating problematic behavior},
 but for things like this,  compatibility is an issue.


Martin Maechler <maechler@stat.math.ethz.ch>	http://stat.ethz.ch/~maechler/
Seminar fuer Statistik, ETH-Zentrum  LEO D10	Leonhardstr. 27
ETH (Federal Inst. Technology)	8092 Zurich	SWITZERLAND
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