[Rd] Changes to the methods package

[John Chambers]

I'm about to commit some changes to the methods package.  Before
downloading the revised code, note the following.

Because the changes involve a revised version of storage for the methods
definitions, you will need to re-install any packages that contain
method definitions, from their source code.  Otherwise the methods will
look as if they've disappeared from the generic functions.

The main changes:

- validObject has been added, so that validity methods can be included
in or added to class definitions, as described in the green book.  No
automatic validation yet, because we need to discuss when & how it would
be triggered.

- the as() mechanism has been entirely re-implemented to be closer to
the API in the book (and to have fewer bugs :-)).

- getClass() and new() are fussier about being handed undefined classes;
these usually generate an error now.

- getGenerics has been added, along with the arguments to showMethods
that use it to display methods for multiple generics and/or restricted
to certain classes.

John

-- 
John M. Chambers                  jmc@bell-labs.com
Bell Labs, Lucent Technologies    office: (908)582-2681
700 Mountain Avenue, Room 2C-282  fax:    (908)582-3340
Murray Hill, NJ  07974            web: http://www.cs.bell-labs.com/~jmc
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