[R] Existence of formal arguments.

[Rolf Turner]

I just discovered what seems to me to be a slight funny in respect
of formal argument names.  If I define a function

	foo <- function(a,b){ ... whatever ...}

then ``inside'' foo() the exists() function will return TRUE
from ``exists("a") whether an object named ``a'' exists or not.
But get("a") will yield an error ``object "a" not found''
in these circumstances.

I presume there is a reason for specifying that an object named
by a formal argument always exists --- but it is mysterious by my
standards.  Can anyone explain the reason for this behaviour?

This is just idle curiosity --- or my hunger for knowledge, whichever
way you want to look at it :-) --- it doesn't really matter.

	cheers,

		Rolf Turner

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