[R] new help pages in R 2.10.0

[Robert Baer]

>> The first call to help during an R session seems to incur a delay which 
>> I'm guessing is spent connecting to localhost and starting the httpd 
>> server.
>>
>>  I think you should collect some data rather than guess
> >
-- snip --
> and in a new session
>
>> system.time(help.start())
> starting httpd help server ... done
> If '/usr/bin/open' is already running, it is *not* restarted, and you
>     must switch to its window.
> Otherwise, be patient ...
>    user  system elapsed
>   0.022   0.007   0.035
>
>>  I think you should collect some data rather than guess

Fair enough!  And, as usual, you appear to be spot on.  The "starting httpd 
help server ... done" line appears long before the majority of the delay I'm 
experiencing.   If I've already started help (and possibly the browser 
directly), the delay is reduced.  If the browser is already open, the delay 
is very short.  I probably should try some alternatives to IE on Windows and 
see if I can do better.  Thanks for the idea.

Here is the data I got.  I realize that 3-4 seconds is not much out of a 
lifetime, but it can seem like it when you're anxious to do work<G>.

My data:
# For whatever reason, the delay is not very consistent
# Using IE Browser closed Newly-started R session
> system.time(help.start())
starting httpd help server ... done
If nothing happens, you should open
'http://127.0.0.1:13428/doc/html/index.html' yourself
   user  system elapsed
   0.06    0.05    4.24

# IE Browser closed Newly started R session
> system.time(help.start())
starting httpd help server ... done
If nothing happens, you should open
'http://127.0.0.1:16957/doc/html/index.html' yourself
   user  system elapsed
   0.04    0.05    3.06

# IE Browser closed Newly started R session
> system.time(help.start())
starting httpd help server ... done
If nothing happens, you should open
'http://127.0.0.1:24234/doc/html/index.html' yourself
   user  system elapsed
   0.03    0.01    1.36

-------------------------------------
# IE Browser already started; help already used once
> system.time(help.start())
If nothing happens, you should open
'http://127.0.0.1:24234/doc/html/index.html' yourself
   user  system elapsed
   0.00    0.01    0.04

# IE Browser closed; but help already used once
> system.time(help.start())
If nothing happens, you should open
'http://127.0.0.1:24234/doc/html/index.html' yourself
   user  system elapsed
   0.00    0.01    0.57

# IE Browser already started; help already used once
> system.time(help.start())
If nothing happens, you should open
'http://127.0.0.1:24234/doc/html/index.html' yourself
   user  system elapsed
   0.00    0.02    0.06


# IE Browser closed; help already used once
> system.time(help.start())
If nothing happens, you should open
'http://127.0.0.1:24234/doc/html/index.html' yourself
   user  system elapsed
   0.00    0.02    0.58
>

Thanks again,
Rob


> -- 
> Brian D. Ripley,                  ripley at stats.ox.ac.uk
> Professor of Applied Statistics,  http://www.stats.ox.ac.uk/~ripley/
> University of Oxford,             Tel:  +44 1865 272861 (self)
> 1 South Parks Road,                     +44 1865 272866 (PA)
> Oxford OX1 3TG, UK                Fax:  +44 1865 272595
>