[R] A comment about R:

[Uwe Ligges]

François Pinard wrote:
> [David Forrest]
> 
> 
>>[...] A few end-to-end tutorials on some interesting analyses would be
>>helpful.
> 
> 
> I'm in the process of learning R.  While tutorials are undoubtedly very 
> useful, and understanding that working and studying methods vary between 
> individuals, what I (for one) would like to have is a fairly complete 
> reference manual to the library.
> 
> Of course, we already have one, and that's marvellous already.  Yet, it 
> is organised by library and, within each library, by function name: this
> organisation means that the manual is mainly used as a reference, or 
> else, that it ought to be studied from cover to cover, dauntingly.
> 
> The very same material could be organised by topics.  Chapters could be 
> named like "General Help", "Language features", "Data types", "Data 
> Handling", "Input/Output", "Graphics", "Statistics", and such.  The 
> chapter "Language features", to take one example, could hold sections 
> like "Expressions", "Statements", "Functions", "Environments", 
> "Packages", "Execution" and "Debugging".  Sections could then hold 
> current reference pages.  References by library and/or by function name 
> could be stated either in appendices or as a general index at the end.


Have a look at  help.start() --> Search Engine & Keywords --> Section 
"Keywords by Topic".

Uwe Ligges



> For those who happen to know it, I find the "Emacs Lisp Reference 
> Manual" to be a good example for organising, in a very usable way,
> a comprehensive reference to a flurry of library functions.  When one 
> needs string handling functions, they are likely grouped together in the 
> manual, and are likely all present.  A tutorial, by comparison, usually 
> presents a subset, or even a tiny subset, of what is available.
> 
> 
>>Any volunteers?
> 
> 
> Not me, or at least, not before quite a long while.  The overall 
> organisation of a reference should not be handled by beginners.  On the 
> contrary, it rather requires someone who has comprehensive knowledge of 
> all the material to be considered.
> 
> Just an idea.  A good work plan would be to establish a new structure 
> for a reference manual, and once competent people (or this community as 
> a whole) agrees on a structure, to develop mechanical means for 
> generating a reference manual out of the current material.  The 
> mechanism should likely allow for added glue text, about everywhere 
> reasonable, and for diagnosing any lone, unreachable page in the current 
> reference.
>