[R] row.names(), rownames(), colnames(), names() ...?

[Boris Steipe]

The help text for row+colnames {base} states:

  "For a data frame, rownames and colnames eventually call row.names
   and names respectively, but the latter are preferred."

Why are they "preferred"?
Why is it names(), not col.names()?
I have only ever used names() for vectors - I'm surprised it works on data.frames... IMO this is not great for code readability, thus thinking to require rownames(), colnames() for all 2D objects, names() for vectors and lists. Any problems with this approach?


Thanks for some insight!
Boris