[Rd] Feature request: Change default library path on Windows

[Gabriel Becker]

On Sun, Jul 25, 2021, 6:54 AM Steve Haroz <steve.haroz using gmail.com> wrote:

> > Shouldn't it be in one of the AppData directories?
>
> I asked that same question on twitter. Here was a response
> (https://twitter.com/bmwiernik/status/1419033079495147522):
> * But it's not for files that should be user-accessible, like a
> library (cf. Zotero has preferences in AppData , but library files in
> %USERPROFILE%/Zotero)
> * So, for example, in R's case it could make sense for the core
> packages to be installed in %APPDATA%/R/R-4.1.0/library" rather than
> "C:/Program Files/R/R-4.1.0/library" (either is fairly common), but
> user packages should be somewhere more accessible.
>
> Here is a quote from
>
> https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/apps/design/app-settings/store-and-retrieve-app-data
> :
> "App data is mutable data that is created and managed by a specific
> app. It includes runtime state, app settings, user preferences,
> reference content (such as the dictionary definitions in a dictionary
> app), and other settings"
> I don't think libraries fall into the categories of state or settings.
>

Well, no,  but installed, and thus available for use by scripts, extension
packages are somewhat more comparable to dictionary definitions in in a
dictionary app.

They seem fairly analogous, in fact. Packages are essentially dictionaries
of available functions that scripts (equivalent roughly to text documents
here) can call.

That said I dont have a super strong opinion and don't use windows, just
pointing out that its not clear this would violate the intent of the cited
guidance.

Another option would be to allow users to set the default library location
from within the windows installer (if you can't already).

~G




> -Steve Haroz
>
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