[R] File > Save As...

Tue Mar 15 21:37:32 CET 2011

On 15/03/2011 2:56 PM, Gene Leynes wrote:
> The "getSrcFilename" function is exactly what I was trying to describe, and
> I'm excited to know that it's on it way!
>
> I have tried to create that type of function, but I didn't think it was
> possible with currently available functions.  I would be interested in
> seeing how the new function works, maybe I'll check it out using the google
> code search tool<http://www.google.com/codesearch?hl=en&lr=&q=lang%3Ar+&sbtn=Search>(although
> I usually have a hard time making sense of that code).

The source is available in

https://svn.r-project.org/R/trunk/src/library/utils/R/sourceutils.R

Duncan Murdoch

> Please let me briefly clarify this part:
>
> >  But it can.  If you open a script and choose save, it will be saved to the
> >  same place.
> >
>
> I just mean that when you do "save as..." R doesn't seem to use the same
> information that it uses during a normal save (the directory or script
> name).  In other applications like Microsoft Word, or Python's IDLE (screen
> shot attached) the user is shown a dialogue box with the file name in the
> current directory of that file.
>
> This is a very minor annoyance though.  I only brought it up because I
> thought it would be easier to explain than asking about a function that
> would do the job of "getSrcFilename", which is really what I was after.
>
> I rarely upgrade my R versions, but this will definitely be an occasion when
> I do!
>
> This makes me want to go back and look at the past release notes to see what
> other goodies I've been overlooking.
>
> Thanks again,
>
> Gene
>
>
>
> On Mon, Mar 14, 2011 at 8:17 PM, Duncan Murdoch<murdoch.duncan at gmail.com>wrote:
>
> >  On 11-03-14 8:12 PM, Gene Leynes wrote:
> >
> >>  Yes, I understand.  Normally I use Eclipse, which does what I want for
> >>  "save as..."
> >>
> >>  The bigger issue is that R can't tell the location of an open script,
> >>  which makes it harder to create new versions of existing work....
> >>
> >
> >  But it can.  If you open a script and choose save, it will be saved to the
> >  same place.  Or do you mean an executing script?  There are indirect ways to
> >  find the name of the executing script.  For example,
> >  in R-devel (to become 2.13.0 next month), you can do this:
> >
> >
> >  cat("This file is ", getSrcFilename(function(){}, full=TRUE), "\n")
> >
> >  The getSrcFilename() function will be new in 2.13.0.  You can do the same
> >  in earlier versions, but you need to program it yourself.
> >
> >  Duncan Murdoch
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >>  Say you have some great analysis going in "Research 2011-01-01" with a
> >>  folder for data, code, gui, other languages, excel, whatever else.
> >>
> >>  Then you want to make a new folder for Research 2011-01-02" with the
> >>  same structure.
> >>
> >>  Making sure that you're setting the right directory in the new version
> >>  adds a layer of complexity which would be nice to avoid.  It would be
> >>  really nice to just copy the folders, and let the script detect it's own
> >>  location so that it could read from the data sub-directory, the gui's
> >>  sub-directory, etc.  What I want to be able to do is copy the tools I
> >>  create into different client folders so that anyone can just use the
> >>  tool without changing the source code.... which is simple for you or I,
> >>  but prevents newcomers from using the tools.
> >>
> >>  Apparently I'm in the minority on the next part: but the "save as" thing
> >>  I was describing before seems very strange to me.  As I teach new people
> >>  R it's always kind of a hangup that requires a little more explanation,
> >>  but maybe it's the way I'm looking at it.
> >>
> >>  Thanks for your reply Duncan.
> >>
> >>
> >>  On Mon, Mar 14, 2011 at 6:57 PM, Duncan Murdoch
> >>  <murdoch.duncan at gmail.com<mailto:murdoch.duncan at gmail.com>>  wrote:
> >>
> >>     On 11-03-14 5:03 PM, Gene Leynes wrote:
> >>
> >>         As much as I love R, there are still the occasional shortcomings.
> >>
> >>         I would love to find a solution to the "save as..." problem.
> >>
> >>         Steps to reproduce the problem:
> >>
> >>             1. Open any version of he R GUI in Windows
> >>             2. Choose "File>   Open" from the menu
> >>             3. Open a script that is in a different directory
> >>             4. Choose "File>   Save As" from the menu
> >>
> >>
> >>         In just about any other application you would be presented with
> >>         a GUI
> >>         showing the current folder of the script and the current name of
> >>  the
> >>         script.  You could then edit the name and save.
> >>
> >>         In R, you have to find the directory of the script and the
> >>         script name.  It
> >>         can be annoying from a GUI perspective, especially if you
> >>         typically work in
> >>         one directory and store your scripts somewhere else, and the
> >>         problem is
> >>         worse when you have many script versions or directories.
> >>
> >>         I know there are many ways to work around this issue.
> >>         I also know about the batch file project.
> >>
> >>         However, it seems like this is something that users shouldn't
> >>         *need* to work
> >>         around.
> >>
> >>         I think this is related to the fact that R has no way of knowing
> >>  the
> >>         location of any open script file.
> >>         (Please correct me if I'm wrong about that last part! )
> >>
> >>         I think this has come up before, but I couldn't find it in my
> >>         searches.
> >>         Is this a problem for other users as well?
> >>         Should I post this to the development list?
> >>         Is this change known to be possible / impossible?
> >>         Can I help make the change?
> >>
> >>
> >>     I think it's simply a matter of different working patterns.  R
> >>     offers the current working directory to save into.  For some people,
> >>     that's fine.  Others (like you) want some other default.
> >>
> >>     I don't think we want to make the editor so elaborate that it caters
> >>     to every taste.  If you want a better editor, there are lots out
> >>     there, including several that have good integration with R (Emacs,
> >>     Eclipse, WinEdt, TinnR, etc.)  I think it would be best to use one
> >>     of those editors, customized to suit your needs.
> >>
> >>     Duncan Murdoch
> >>
> >>
> >>         Thanks
> >>
> >>         Gene
> >>
> >>                 [[alternative HTML version deleted]]
> >>
> >>         ______________________________________________
> >>         R-help at r-project.org<mailto: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.
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >
>