[R] keep.source.pkgs()

[Thomas Lumley]

On Tue, 3 Aug 2004, Rolf Turner wrote:
>
> However, after substantial experimentation, I am still at a loss to
> get at the original source code for arima() (replete with comments)
> save by accessing the original, ``unmade'' source for R.  Not too
> hard, but not exactly ``immediate''.

Personally, I find this the easiest way to look at the source. You can
browse the source on https://svn.r-project.org/R/ if you are using a
binary distribution, rather than downloading the whole thing.


> In the course of experimenting with keep.source.pkgs() I encountered
> behaviour which I found mysterious and which I'd like to understand
> better.  Also if there is an easier way to get at comments in code of
> ``system'' functions I'd like to know about it.
>
> In experimenting with keep.source.pkgs() I did the following

> 	o executed options("keep.source.pkgs"), and got ``FALSE''
> 	o executed library(spatstat)
> 	o typed the name of a function in spatstat whose code has
> 	  comments (rmh.ppm) --- no comments appeared.
> 	o executed options(keep.source.pkgs=TRUE)
> 	o typed ``rmh.ppm'' again --- still no comments, as is to
> 	  be expected.
> 	o detached spatstat
> 	o reloaded it
> 	o type ``rmh.ppm'' again --- comments were there in all
> 	  their glory.  OMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM!

Yes.

> Then I went through the same procedure with the package util and the
> function vignette therefrom.  (This function has comments in its
> code.)  Except that I didn't do an initial library(util), since util
> gets loaded automatically on startup.
>
> After setting keep.source.pkgs to TRUE via options(), detaching util,
> and reloading it --- still no comments, and attr(vignette,"source")
> was NULL.
>
> The help for options() says that keep.source.pkgs defaults to TRUE
> if the environment variable R_KEEP_PKG_SOURCE is set to `yes'.
> So my next experiment was to stop R, set this variable, restart
> R, and then type ``vignette''.  Bingo.  Comments appeared, and
> attr(vignette,"source") was there bigtime.

Isn't that nice.

> However attr(arima,"source") was still NULL (and of course comments
> were non-existant).  Apparently the functions in stats get
> ***loaded*** from a binary file ``all.rda'' (in the
> .../library/stats/R directory) rather than getting read in from ascii
> files.  (One hesitates to ask ***why***, but .... why?)

Because R starts much faster that way.

>							  Anyhow, I
> guess that the binary versions in all.rda got built effectively with
> keep.source.pkgs=FALSE, and so starting R with keep.source.pkgs=TRUE
> doesn't help in this case.
>
> So, some questions:
>
> 	1) Why do ``system'' packages, e.g. util, behave differently
> 	from ``optional'' packages?  I.e. why does the sequence
>
> 		. detach package
> 		. set keep.source.pkgs=TRUE
> 		. re-load package
>
> 	``work'', i.e. make the source available for functions in
> 	optional packages but not for functions in system packages?

Because, as you noted, the base packages are stored in binary form.  This
already speeds things up, and will have even more impact in 2.0.0 with
"lazy loading" of functions.


> 	2) Is there a better way of getting to see the
> 	code-with-comments of system functions, rather than dicking
> 	around with the R_KEEP_PKG_SOURCE environment variable?

Downloading the source, or looking at svn.r-project.org

> 	3) Is there any way, other than retrieving the unmade source
> 	of R, to see the commented source code of functions in the
> 	stat package (and presumably methods, stats4, lattice, and
> 	nlme which also boast all.rda files)?

It doesn't look like it.

> I wonder if someone with better people skills and more patience
> than Prof. Ripley would be so kind as to answer!


  When a Certain Guru rips strips off people (God knows he's done it to me
  often enough) on this list, there's a damned good reason for it.
   -- Rolf Turner (in a discussion about whether a friendly mailing list with
      more `customer service' attitude than R-help was needed)
      R-help (December 2003)


	-thomas