[R] RSiteSearch for words ``as one entity''.

[Marc Schwartz]

on 09/10/2008 04:49 PM Rolf Turner wrote:
> 
> On 11/09/2008, at 9:29 AM, Marc Schwartz wrote:
> 
>> on 09/10/2008 04:03 PM Rolf Turner wrote:
>>>
>>> I tried to search for a string of words ``as one entity'' following the
>>> example in the help file:
>>>
>>>> RSiteSearch("{logistic regression}")
>>>
>>> and got the error message:
>>>
>>> 2008-09-11 08:55:41.356 open[823] No such file:
>>> /Users/rturner/http:/search.r-project.org/cgi-bin/namazu.cgi?query={logistic+regression}&max=20&result=normal&sort=score&idxname=Rhelp02a&idxname=functions&idxname=docs
>>>
>>
>> For some reason, it appears to be looking locally, rather than to the
>> net.
> 
>     The question is, how do I *stop it* from looking locally? :-)
>>
>> On my system:
>>
>> R version 2.7.2 Patched (2008-08-25 r46438)
>>
>> running on F9:
>>
>>> RSiteSearch("{logistic regression}")
>> A search query has been submitted to http://search.r-project.org
>> The results page should open in your browser shortly
>>
>> and then it takes me to the search engine page.
>>
>> Does this only happen with the above incantation using the braces, or
>> does it happen without them as well?
> 
>     It only happens with the incantation using the braces; without
>     the braces, RSiteSearch() works like a dream.
> 
>> Even if I directly use browseURL(), which is the relevant function in
>> RSiteSearch(), I cannot get it to behave in the way you have above, even
>> if I only use a single slash in the http:/ part of the URL. Somehow it
>> is paste()ing your $HOME folder as a prefix.
>>
>> You might want to try it with R --vanilla, just to see if something is
>> amiss in your R session.
> 
>     Tried that just now --- same error occurred.
>>
>> You might also want to post to the sig-mac list in case this is Mac
>> specific.
> 
>     Probably is ... but one shouldn't cross-post, they say.
>     And I thought I'd get more feed-back from the general R-help list.
> 
> Thanks for your suggestions.


As Prof. Ripley noted, try using debug(RSiteSearch) and then step
through the code to see where $HOME is being added to the URL variable.
That can help pin it down further. If the URL is not corrupted by the
time browseURL() is called, then use debug(browseURL) to trace within
that function to see if something is happening there.

There are several places where regex based manipulations are taking
place within those functions and the use of the braces may be causing a
problem somewhere along the way in those manipulations on your system.
However, why that would be limited to OS X or your system specifically
(eg. a locale issue?) is not clear to me.

HTH,

Marc