[R] invalid \uxxxx sequence while trying to create a package

[Duncan Murdoch]

On 21/03/2008 6:01 PM, Charles Annis, P.E. wrote:
> I'm running R2.6.2 on a DELL box with 2gig RAM, using Rtools (v26).
> 
> I have a perplexing problem trying to build a package.  
> 
> I've created a small demonstration:
> 
> problem.demo  <- function () 
> {cat("\n          ***   \u00e2 vs a    ***\n")}
> 
> 
> This function runs in an R gui session and Rtools makes a simple package
> containing it alone or with a handful of similar routines.
> 
> However, when I include it with a much bigger package (that Rtools has no
> trouble in packaging without it), the result is an invalid \uxxxx sequence:
> 
> Compile time: 0 minutes, 3 seconds
> 171     Topics
> 342     Local links
> 171     Internet links
> 1       Graphic
> 
> 
> Created
> c:\DOCUME~1\CHARLE~1\LOCALS~1\Temp\Rbuild406495938\mh1823\chm\mh1823.chm,
> 149,803 bytes
> Compression decreased file by 398,668 bytes.
>   preparing package mh1823 for lazy loading
> Loading required package: rcom
> Loading required package: RODBC
> Loading required package: RColorBrewer
> Loading required package: survival
> Loading required package: splines
> Error in parse(n = -1, file = file) : invalid \uxxxx sequence
> Calls: <Anonymous> -> code2LazyLoadDB -> sys.source -> parse
> Execution halted
> make: *** [lazyload] Error 1
> *** Installation of mh1823 failed ***
> 
> Removing 'C:/DOCUME~1/CHARLE~1/LOCALS~1/Temp/Rinst406445831/mh1823'
> 
> Clearly I am overlooking something obvious, so I would greatly appreciate
> any guidance.

The general rules apply.

"Make it reproducible".

You've done that for yourself, but you haven't given instructions that 
let anyone else reproduce it.

If you simplify your example to a minimal one that reproduces the error, 
there's a good chance you'll spot what is wrong:  but if not, there's a 
good chance someone else will be able to.

If you post error messages without the code that causes them, there 
might be one person on the list who can diagnose the problem, but he's 
awfully busy.  Post complete instructions for reproducing it.

Duncan Murdoch