[R] Unreasonable syntax error

[Greg Snow]

I second the fortune nomination, probably the 1st paragraph is sufficient for a fortune.

-- 
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 Ted Harding
> Sent: Tuesday, June 21, 2011 1:25 AM
> To: r-help at r-project.org
> Subject: Re: [R] Unreasonable syntax error
> 
> How long can a fortune be? Bill's response is fortune-worthy
> in its entirety!
> 
> I would intensify his advice to "NOT to use Microsoft Word."
> Note the Full Stop.
> 
> I will spare people the full catalogue of misfortunes I have
> observed, but feel inclined to cite the case of someone to
> whom I once sent a PostScript file, who, naively, opened it
> in Word which, helpfully (as Bill emphasises), was in
> "Autosave" mode. Within a few seconds the file was scrambled
> beyond recovery.
> 
> Best wishes to all,
> Ted.
> 
> On 20-Jun-11 22:47:49, Bill.Venables at csiro.au wrote:
> > The advice is always NOT to use Microsoft Word to edit an R file.
> > That stuff is poisonous.  Microsoft word, typical of all Microsoft
> > software, does not do what you tell it to do but helpfully does
> > what it thinks you meant to ask it to do but were too dumb to do so.
> >
> > Even notepad, gawdelpus, would be better.
> >
> > When I look at your script the first sign of trouble I see is:
> >
> > Error: unexpected input in:
> > "     s[1,3,k]<- (0.1) * runif(1)+ 0.1;
> >      s[1,1,k]<- (0.02) *  runif(1)+ 0.98 ¨"
> >
> > which is the spurious character Microsoft word has helpfully inserted
> > to make it all look nice.  It's downhill all the way from there.
> >
> > (R does not expect Microsoft Word, just as "nobody expects the
> Spanish
> > Inquisition".  See http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CSe38dzJYkY).
> >
> > Bill Venables.
> >
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: r-help-bounces at r-project.org
> > [mailto:r-help-bounces at r-project.org] On Behalf Of james198877
> > Sent: Tuesday, 21 June 2011 7:13 AM
> > To: r-help at r-project.org
> > Subject: [R] Unreasonable syntax error
> >
> > http://r.789695.n4.nabble.com/file/n3612530/PSC.r PSC.r
> >
> > Hi all,
> >
> > I just wrote a program in R by editing it in Microsoft Word and then
> > pasting
> > into the text editor of R. The above is the file.
> >
> > And below is what the console complains.... Why doesn't it recognise
> > 'r'??
> >
> > I have to mention that at least when I typed this first several lines
> > into
> > the console, the first error didn't appear. I don't try the next
> errors
> > as
> > there would be too many lines to type...I'm not sure if this is
> > something
> > about Word
> >
> > http://r.789695.n4.nabble.com/file/n3612530/lastsave.txt lastsave.txt
> >
> > Thanks a lot for your help!!!
> 
> --------------------------------------------------------------------
> E-Mail: (Ted Harding) <ted.harding at wlandres.net>
> Fax-to-email: +44 (0)870 094 0861
> Date: 21-Jun-11                                       Time: 08:25:11
> ------------------------------ XFMail ------------------------------
> 
> ______________________________________________
> R-help at r-project.org mailing list
> https://stat.ethz.ch/mailman/listinfo/r-help
> PLEASE do read the posting guide http://www.R-project.org/posting-
> guide.html
> and provide commented, minimal, self-contained, reproducible code.