[R] RODBC installation: error message

[Duncan Murdoch]

On 12-01-03 2:39 PM, gregory benison wrote:
> If one attempts to install RODBC (via install.packages('RODBC'))
> without having an ODBC driver installed, this error message results:
>
> checking sqlext.h presence... no
> checking for sqlext.h... no
> configure: error: "ODBC headers sql.h and sqlext.h not found"
> ERROR: configuration failed for package 'RODBC'
> * removing '/usr/lib/R/library/RODBC'
>
> Yes, the RODBC README describes the needed prerequisites, but for
> someone who just wants to use RODBC and tries to install it in the
> most natural way, i.e. from "R Installation and Administration":
>
>> For most users it suffices to call ‘install.packages(pkgname)’
>
> the result is the above error message, which could be more informative.

RODBC is not my package, but I can say from experience that it's hard to 
put together error messages that satisfy everyone.  Here, the problem is 
that configuration couldn't find the files sql.h and sqlext.h, and 
that's what the error says.  Not installing ODBC is one reason that 
might happen; another is installing it improperly, and there are 
probably others, too.  I think it's best if the error messages describe 
the problems; trying to diagnose the solution is something that needs 
human intervention.

One thing R could do better is to provide a standard way to view README 
and similar files before installing a package.  That might have helped here.

Duncan Murdoch

>
> Greg Benison
>
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