[R] Documentation General Comments

[Beck, Kenneth (STP)]

Good comments, I agree that better cross referencing would help
immensely. I would like to contribute in some way, but not sure how to
start.  I can always send $$ but that seems too simple.

-----Original Message-----
From: Duncan Murdoch [mailto:murdoch at stats.uwo.ca] 
Sent: Monday, April 21, 2008 5:46 PM
To: Dr. Jeff Miller
Cc: Beck, Kenneth (STP); r-help at r-project.org
Subject: Re: [R] Documentation General Comments

On 21/04/2008 6:36 PM, Dr. Jeff Miller wrote:
> I agree completely.  Maybe it's time for an exhaustive manual (with 
> weekly downloadable updates, of course).
> 
> It would also be nice if it were cross-referenced. For example, to get

> what I wanted last weekend from a simple 2x2 contingency analysis, I 
> had to bounce between 4 different libraries. (All I was trying to do 
> was replicate the output from SAS Proc Freq).
> 
> A lot of the library documentations have a See Also section but these 
> may be getting out of date.
> 
> But maybe our request is too monumental to be feasible. (?)

No, it's entirely achievable.  Like all open source projects, the things
that get done are those that scratch an itch.  You and Kenneth both see
a need for better docs:  so write some!  (Maybe you don't feel expert
enough to do that.  In that case, organize a project to encourage other
people to contribute better documentation.  What would encourage them? 
Positive feedback, financial support, etc:  the usual things.)

Remember:  you aren't a customer.  You are a collaborator.

Duncan Murdoch

> Jeff
> 
> 
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: r-help-bounces at r-project.org 
> [mailto:r-help-bounces at r-project.org] On Behalf Of Beck, Kenneth (STP)
> Sent: Monday, April 21, 2008 5:56 PM
> To: r-help at r-project.org
> Subject: [R] Documentation General Comments
> 
> I realize the R developers are probably overwhelmed and have little 
> time for this, but the documentation really needs some serious
reorganizaton.
> A good through description of basic variable types would help a lot,
e.g.
> the difference between lists, arrays, matrices and frames. And, it 
> appears there is some object-orientation to R, but it is not complete.

> I can't, for instance find a "metafile" method for a "recordedplot" 
> type, using either the variable direclty or the replayPlot() method. I

> am sorry to post this, but I am really having trouble sorting out 
> certain methods in "R". The basic tutorial "Introduction to R" is so 
> basic, it hardly helps at all, then digging through documentation is 
> really an exercise in frustration. The SimpleR is also so basic it is 
> of little help other than to just get started. I occasionally find 
> answers in the mailing list. See my later post on recordPlot for a
good example.
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