[R] Package development on Windows - latest guidance?

[Michael Prager]

I would like to start building R packages under Windows XP.  I
have programming experience and a minimal but working knowlege
of many Unix (-like) programming tools. The package functions
(for now) will be from R source, not C or Fortran.

I've installed Rtools, Perl, the MS hhc, and so on.  I am
setting up a command shell with the correct PATH for building
packages.  (The master Windows PATH points to different
versions of make and grep that I prefer for my usual work.)

Two questions:

1.  GUIDANCE.  Is the Peter Rossi document now the best place
to look for detailed guidance?  I have located it at

http://www1.appstate.edu/~arnholta/Software/MakingPackagesUnderWindows.pdf

The links to it on the R Project Website are no longer good. I
am also reading at the latest version of "Writing R
Extensions."

2. LATEX.  In Rossi's paper, fpTeX is recommended (I use VTeX
in everyday work).  However, fpTeX has been discontinued by
the author.  What is the best way to get an R-compatible TeX
installation for this work? (or might I get VTeX working --
its command line is idiosyncratic but it can create PDF, DVI,
or HTML directly from LaTeX source)?

Mike Prager
Southeast Fisheries Science Center, NOAA
Beaufort, North Carolina  USA