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

[Rolf Turner]

On 11/09/2008, at 10:09 AM, Marc Schwartz wrote:

	<snip>

> 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.

	I have done some digging.  When I do:

	RSiteSearch("logistic regression")

	the RSiteSearch() function calls browseURL(qstring) where qstring is  
qs1 equal to

	"http://search.r-project.org/cgi-bin/namazu.cgi?query=logistic 
+regression&max=20&result=normal&sort=score&idxname=Rhelp02a&idxname=fun 
ctions&idxname=docs"


	Similarly when I do RSiteSearch("{logistic regression}") qstring is  
qs2 equal to

	"http://search.r-project.org/cgi-bin/namazu.cgi?query={logistic 
+regression} 
&max=20&result=normal&sort=score&idxname=Rhelp02a&idxname=functions&idxn 
ame=docs"

	i.e. the same except for the braces.

	If I do browseURL(qs1) outside of RSiteSearch() it works as expected.
	If I do browseURL(qs2) I get the error.

	Inside browseURL I find that it calls

	system(paste(browser, remoteCmd, "> /dev/null 2>&1 ||", browser,  
quotedUrl, "&"))

	and browser is "/usr/bin/open", remoteCmd is the qstring with the  
opening and closing
	quote marks attached (escaped with a ``\'') amd quotedUrl is the  
same.  This is true
	irrespective of which qstring (qs1 or qs2 is used).

	Note that the double backslash shows up in remoteCmd == quotedUrl at  
this stage.

	Finally I put the system command into a file ``junk'' and from the  
command window
	(outside R) executed ``sh junk''.

	With the braces around ``logistic regression'' I can the same error  
message that
	I got in R.  When I simply edited out the braces, the Firefox window  
opened at
	the appropriate URL.  So the problem is in those braces and the  
single/double
	backslash at the start was a red herring.

	Finally, while I was doing all this I got Henrik Bengtsson's  
message, and tried
	his suggestion:

	library(R.utils)
	browseURL(toUrl(qs2))

	and BINGO!!! that worked.  (Thanks very much, Henrik.)

	It's still mysterious why the braces have their deleterious impact  
on my Mac
	but do not have that impact on Professor Ripley's machine.  (But  
that's the
	story of my life:  THEY always pick on ***me***! :-) )

	So my problem is solved --- via a workaround --- but there's still  
some vestigial
	strangeness.

	Thanks to all who helped me, especially (again) to Henrik Bengtsson

		cheers,

			Rolf

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