[Rd] sample (PR#1212)

[possolo@crd.ge.com]

Full_Name: Antonio Possolo
Version: 1.3.1
OS: Linux (RH 7.1), Windows 2000
Submission from: (NULL) (192.35.44.3)


A FEATURE THAT EASILY GENERATES BUGS

sample(pi, size=1) produces 1, 2, or 3.
sample(c(pi, pi), size=1) produces 3.141593 always.

Although this conforms with the behavior explained in the help page for
"sample",
the behavior for the case where x (in sample(x, ...)) has length 1 can easily
lead to errors if x is generated automatically and one neglects to check its
length before sampling from it.

I believe it would be safest to require x to be always the full set of values
one wishes to sample from, and remove the special meaning that is attached
to the case when x is of length 1.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-
r-devel mailing list -- Read http://www.ci.tuwien.ac.at/~hornik/R/R-FAQ.html
Send "info", "help", or "[un]subscribe"
(in the "body", not the subject !)  To: r-devel-request@stat.math.ethz.ch
_._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._