[R] help in R 2.9.x for R 2.10.x packages

[Greg Snow]

The problem there is that the function he is interested in (HWidentify) was added in version 2.5 of TeachingDemos, so going back to 2.4 does not give the help he wants.

Another option for getting help is to download the pdf file from your local CRAN mirror.  It has the help pages for all the functions and a handy menu bar on the side to jump to the different help pages.

-- 
Gregory (Greg) L. Snow Ph.D.
Statistical Data Center
Intermountain Healthcare
greg.snow at imail.org
801.408.8111


> -----Original Message-----
> From: r-help-bounces at r-project.org [mailto:r-help-bounces at r-
> project.org] On Behalf Of Uwe Ligges
> Sent: Friday, January 29, 2010 12:53 PM
> To: Michael Friendly
> Cc: R-Help
> Subject: Re: [R] help in R 2.9.x for R 2.10.x packages
> 
> Dear Michael,
> 
> the help system has been rearranged considerably. It is not possible to
> use binary packages prepared under R-2.10.x with earlier versions of R.
> The other way round is also not a really good idea.
> 
> Note also that the most recent version of TeachingDemos (2.5) uses help
> markup that does not work with R versions prior to R-2.10.0. You can
> use
> TeachingDemos 2.4 with R-2.9.x, tough (and that version is still
> available in the Windows binary repository for the R-2.9.x series.
> Hence
> just say
>     install.packages("TeachingDemos")
> if you wanto to stay with that "ancient" version of R.
> 
> Best wishes,
> Uwe
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> On 29.01.2010 20:34, Michael Friendly wrote:
> > [Env: Win Xp]
> > Is there any options() setting or call to help() or help.start() that
> > will allow me to view a help file for
> > a package built under R 2.10.x under R 2.9.2?
> >
> > I'm using both R 2.9.2 and R 2.10.1, but prefer the former because
> the
> > CHM help is so much easier
> > to use. Yet, if I install a package built for R 2.10.x, I can't find
> > *any* way to display a help file in this
> > package.
> >
> > For example, after library(TeachinDemos),
> >  > ?HWidentify
> > Error in print.help_files_with_topic(x) :
> > No text help for 'HWidentify' is available:
> > corresponding file is missing
> > In addition: Warning message:
> > In
> > print.help_files_with_topic("C:/R/R-
> 2.9.2/library/TeachingDemos/chm/HWidentify")
> > :
> > No CHM help for 'HWidentify' in package 'TeachingDemos' is available:
> > the CHM file for the package is missing
> >
> > So, I try
> >  > help.start()
> > updating HTML package listing
> > updating HTML search index
> > If nothing happens, you should open 'C:\R\R-
> 2.9.2\doc\html\index.html'
> > yourself
> >
> > I can then get to
> > file:///C:/R/R-2.9.2/library/TeachingDemos/html/00Index.html
> > but then all the links there give Not Found, e.g.,
> > file:///C:/R/R-2.9.2/library/TeachingDemos/html/HWidentify.html
> >
> > and, indeed, C:\R\R-2.9.2\library\TeachingDemos\html contains
> > only 00Index.html.
> > All the links therein are to .html files in the same directory, so of
> > course
> > are wrong.
> >
> > -Michael
> >
> >
> 
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