[Rd] S3 method dispatch for methods in local environments

[Viechtbauer, Wolfgang (SP)]

Dear All,

In R 3.6.3 (and earlier), method dispatch used to work for methods stored in local environments that are attached to the search path. For example:

myfun <- function(y) {
   out <- list(y=y)
   class(out) <- "myclass"
   return(out)
}

print.myclass <- function(x, ...) print(formatC(x$y, format="f", digits=5))

myfun(1:4)

# prints: [1] "1.00000" "2.00000" "3.00000" "4.00000"

rm(print.myclass)
myenv <- new.env()
myenv$print.myclass <- local(function(x, ...) print(formatC(x$y, format="f", digits=5)), myenv)
attach(myenv)
myfun(1:4)

# still prints: [1] "1.00000" "2.00000" "3.00000" "4.00000"

But since R 4.0.0, this no longer words and the above prints:

$y
[1] 1 2 3 4

attr(,"class")
[1] "myclass"

Is this intended? And is there a way to still make this work?

Best,
Wolfgang