[Rd] data/ and data()

[Paul Gilbert]

(Changed thread from  [Rd] Accessing data files w/ --use-zip-data.)

Prof Brian Ripley wrote:

> I have been proposing, and may implement as soon as 1.9.0, to process all
>
>the data directory at install time to .rda files in a database (details 
>depend on Luke's final choice of implementation)  which is load-on-demand 
>and perhaps unload if not currently used.  So it not a good idea to use 
>the data directory for files other than those to be accessed by data().
>
An issue related to data files that needs to be reconsidered (IMO) is 
the fact that data files cannot use functionality defined in the 
package, according to Writing R Extensions.

This is not too serious a problem with S3 classes, but to the limited 
extent that I understand S4 classes, I think this means that a package 
cannot have example data in a class stucture that is defined in the 
package. This will certainly hinder my ability to switch to S4 classes 
(assuming that I ever get the time to try it).

Paul Gilbert