[Rd] [R] library(): load library from a specified location

[Martin Maechler]

[ re-diverted to R-devel ]

>>>>> Barry Rowlingson <b.rowlingson at lancaster.ac.uk>
>>>>>     on Tue, 30 Mar 2010 20:15:00 +0100 writes:

    > On Tue, Mar 30, 2010 at 7:58 PM, Rolf Turner
    > <r.turner at auckland.ac.nz> wrote:
    >> But ***please*** say ``load *package*'', not ``load
    >> library''.  The *location* (collection of packages) from
    >> which you wish to load the given package is the
    >> ``library''.

    >  Anyone vote for deprecating the library() function and
    > renaming it use() or requiring require() instead?

I'm voting pro.   


We (R core) had planned to do this, probably about 5 to eight
years ago, then started discussing about possible features of
the new  use()  function, of making a package into an "object"
that you'd want to interrogate, ...
and then probably got tired  ;-)

With the many moons passed, I'd now tend to *not* add features,
but really renamed 'library' to 'use' 
and create a  library() with a deprecation message which then
simply calls use()...
and yes, I'd allow a very exceptionally long deprecation period
of two to five years before making library() defunct.

Martin

    >  I mean, when I go get a book out of our library, I don't
    > say "I'd like to library Case Studies in Spatial Point
    > Process Modelling".  Maybe we should use
    > 'borrow(package)'? Then it might be clear you were getting
    > a package from a library, and that you magically put it
    > back at the end of your R session....

    >  Slightly silly mood this evening



    > Barry

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