[R] Validation of R

Thu Apr 17 16:19:22 CEST 2003

Remember also, that there is an extensive series of tests available when
installing R from source by executing "make check".  Some time ago there
was discussion of this topic in r-help (see the r-help archives).

R. Woodrow Setzer, Jr.                        Phone: (919) 541-0128
Experimental Toxicology Division             Fax:  (919) 541-4284
Pharmacokinetics Branch
NHEERL B143-05; US EPA; RTP, NC 27711

                      Shawn Way                                                                                                            
                      <sway at tanox.com>             To:       'Rob Lambkin' <r.lambkin at retroscreen.com>                                     
                      Sent by:                     cc:       "'r-help at stat.math.ethz.ch'" <r-help at stat.math.ethz.ch>                       
                      r-help-bounces at stat.m        Subject:  RE: [R] Validation of R                                                       
                      ath.ethz.ch                                                                                                          

                      04/17/03 09:07 AM                                                                                                    

I suspect that there is no easy answer to this.

The first step will be to write a user specification for what you want
to
use the software for.  In most cases, I believe that you will want to
use
specific functions and scripts.  Define those functions and scripts up
front
in the user specification.

Next will be to create those scripts you wish to use and documenting the
creation (I'm thinking of a library here)

Once this is created, you would need to create a standard dataset(s),
the
more the better, for the testing of the functions defined in the user
requirement specification. This is for comparison with a known result
and
used if the software is upgraded in the future.  I would propose to do
the
analysis (on the standard data set) the first time with a known package
such
as SAS, and compare that with R.  Once the data is been documented to
match,
this becomes your standard setup.  I would then use a program such as
gnu's
diff for any changes in printouts from the two applications.

Graphics are harder, but I believe that Paul Murrell and Kurt Hornik are
working on this by the paper: Quality Assurance for Graphics in R,  from
the
DSC 2003 Working Papers.

Hope this helps.

-----Original Message-----
From: Rob Lambkin [mailto:r.lambkin at retroscreen.com]
Sent: Thursday, April 17, 2003 3:51 AM
To: r-help at stat.math.ethz.ch
Cc: Shobana Balasingam; Seb Bossuyt; Katie Benjamin; Alex Mann
Subject: [R] Validation of R

Hi All

I am really very interested in starting to use R within our company. I
particularly like the open source nature of the product. My company is a
medical research company which is part of the University of London.

We conduct contract virology research for large pharma companies. My
question is how do we validate this software? I wonder if anyone else
has
had the problem and might be able to comment.

Thanks

Rob

Robert Lambkin BSc (Hon's), MRPharmS, PhD
Director and General Manager
Retroscreen Limited
Retroscreen Virology Limited
The Medical Building, Queen Mary, University of London,   327 Mile End
Road, London, E1 4NS
Tel: 020 7882 7624  Fax: 020 7882 6990
(Retroscreen Virology Ltd. Registered in England & Wales No:2326557)

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