[R] Using the ``...'' argument.

[Rolf Turner]

Suppose that I have a function fff which calls a couple of functions
foo and bar, and that foo takes optional arguments a and b, and bar
takes optional arguments u and v.

Is there an elegant way of passing ***both*** sets of optional
arguments via a ``...'' argument for fff?

I'd like to be able to have a structure like:

	fff(x,y,z,...) {
              .
	a1 <- foo(x,y,...)
	b1 <- bar(z,...)
              .
	}

and be able to give calls such as

	w1 <- fff(x,y,z,a=2,b=3,u=4,v=5)
	w2 <- fff(x,y,z,a=2,v=5)         # Letting b take its default value
                                         # in foo() and u take its default
					 # value in bar()
	w3 <- fff(x,y,z,a=2,b=3)         # Letting both u and v take their
					 # default values in bar()

and so on.  This of course doesn't work --- complaints about
``unused arguments'' are generated and fff() falls over.

One workaround that I can think of is

	fff(x,y,z,...) {
              .
	tmp <- list(x,y,...)
	tmp[c("u","v")] <- NULL
	a1 <- do.call("foo",NULL)
	tmp <- list(z,...)
	tmp[c("a","b")] <- NULL
	b1 <- do.call("bar",tmp)
              .
	}

but this is pretty kludgy.  Is there a better way?  Am I overlooking
something obvious?

					cheers,

						Rolf Turner
						rolf at math.unb.ca
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