[R] Storing user-defined R functions

[Duncan Murdoch]

On 11-03-25 4:05 AM, David.Epstein wrote:
> Thanks to everyone for writing. A well-known phenomenon in mathematics,
> statistics and/or complex computing is that everything one already knows
> feels trivial and easy. It's as though one is permanently climbing a
> vertical cliff-face, while, if you look back from where you've come, you see
> a level plateau just a couple of inches lower than one's boots. I take
> statements about how easy it is to make packages with a pinch of salt---I'm
> sure it's easy when you already know how.
>
> I've been looking through
> http://127.0.0.1:31257/doc/manual/R-exts.html#Creating-R-packages
> http://127.0.0.1:31257/doc/manual/R-exts.html#Creating-R-packages  with a
> mixture of bafflement and horror. Even to skim this document without
> understanding all that much of it would take me a couple of hours. To make
> my first package might take me a couple of days, or maybe longer.
>
> To follow David Scott's suggestion would take me 5 minutes max.
>
> And I have a huge workload with looming deadlines ....
>
> It might be different if there were a "Dummies' guide to packages", allowing
> one to rapidly assemble a
> a few easy functions, and omitting all the optional features---a guide to
> the first steps up the cliff-face. If there is a Dummies' guide, I would be
> glad to hear of it.

Short version:  see ?package.skeleton.

Longer version:  Look at one of the tutorials on the web.  The big 
problem with this longer version is that there isn't any quality 
control; people can write instructions that become obsolete, and there 
aren't necessarily going to be any updates.  Mine from 2008 still seems 
okay: 
<http://www.statistik.uni-dortmund.de/useR-2008/slides/Murdoch.pdf>, but 
you can probably find others too.

Duncan Murdoch