[R] package:AlgDesign and .Random.seed

[Michael Kubovy]

On Mar 21, 2007, at 4:16 AM, Uwe Ligges wrote:

> Michael Kubovy wrote:
>> Dear r-helpers,
>> Could you please help me solve the following problem: When I run
>> require(AlgDesign)
>> trt <- LETTERS[1:5]
>> blk <- 10
>> trtblk <- 3
>> BIB <- optBlock(~., withinData = trt, blocksizes = rep(trtblk, blk))
>> In response to the last command, R complains:
>> Error in optBlock(~., withinData = trt, blocksizes = rep(trtblk,  
>> blk)) :
>> 	object ".Random.seed" not found
>> The documentation of optBlock() in AlgDesign doesn't say that I   
>> needed to set .Random.seed. I thought it was initiated  
>> automatically  at the beginning of a session. What am I missing?
>
>
> The first line in that function is
>     seed <- .Random.seed
> but .Random.seed is generated at the first use of R's RNG, hence  
> maybe later. This means the function contains a bug which you  
> should report to the package maintainer, please.
>
> Best,
> Uwe Ligges

Bob Wheeler's response:

> From: Bob Wheeler <rwheeler at echip.com>
> Date: March 21, 2007 9:19:29 AM EDT
> To: Michael Kubovy <kubovy at virginia.edu>
> Subject: Re:
>
> Each workspace in R requires you to set a random seed to start. You  
> have not done this. It is an R artifact, and has nothing to do with  
> AlgDesign.
> -- 
> Bob Wheeler --- http://www.bobwheeler.com/
>    ECHIP, Inc. --- Randomness comes in bunches.