[Rd] Please explain your workflow from R code -> package -> R code -> package

[Paul Johnson]

Hi,

I'm asking another one of those questions that would be obvious if I
could watch your work while you do it.

I'm having trouble understanding the workflow of code and package maintenance.

Stage 1.  Make some R functions in a folder.  This is in a Subversion repo

R/trunk/myproject

Stage 2. Make a package:

After the package.skeleton, and R check, I have a new folder with the
project in it,

R/trunk/myproject/mypackage
  DESCRIPTION
  man
  R

I to into the man folder and manually edit the Rd files. I don't
change anything in the R folder because I think it is OK so far.

And eventually I end up with a tarball mypackage_1.0.tar.gz.

Stage 3. How to make the round trip? I add more R code, and
re-generate a package.

package.skeleton obliterates the help files I've already edited.

So keeping the R code in sync with the documentation appears to be a hassle.

In other languages, I've seen to write the documentation inside the
code files and then post-process to make the documentation.  Is there
a similar thing for R, to unify the R code development and
documentation/package-making process?

pj

-- 
Paul E. Johnson
Professor, Political Science
1541 Lilac Lane, Room 504
University of Kansas