[R] Query concerning working directory for file.choose()

[Gabor Grothendieck]

Try choose.files

    choose.files(default = file.path(mydir, "*.*"), multi = FALSE)

On Wed, Dec 18, 2024 at 10:33 AM J C Nash <profjcnash using gmail.com> wrote:
>
> I've been working on a small personal project that needs to select files for manipulation from
> various directories and move them around in planned ways. file.choose() is a nice way to select
> files. However, I've noticed that if file.choose() is called within a function, it is the
> directory from which that calling function has been invoked that is displayed by file.choose().
>
> This is not altered if I setwd() within that function. Have I misunderstood something or is this
> an infelicity of file.choose(). sessionInfo() gives my system as
> R version 4.4.2 (2024-10-31)
> Platform: x86_64-pc-linux-gnu
> Running under: Linux Mint 22
>
> I've a small example script. It actually helps to create nd1 and nd2 and give them some dummy
> files before testing.
>
> Suggestions welcome.
>
> John Nash
>
>
> # fcdir.R -- show directory being used by function that calls file choose
> cpath<-getwd()
> nd1<-paste0(cpath,"/nd1")
> nd2<-paste0(cpath,"/nd2")
> dir.create(nd1)
> dir.create(nd2)
>
> myfc<-function(){
>    cat("myfc working in ",getwd(),"\n")
>    val<-file.choose()
>    val
> }
> myfcd<-function(adir){
>    setwd(adir)
>    cat("in myfcd, getwd() =", getwd(),"\n")
>    val<-file.choose()
>    val
> }
>
> print(getwd())
> one<-myfc()
> cat("one=",one,"\n")
> setwd("nd1")
> print(getwd())
> two<-myfc() # This opens file.choose() in nd1
> cat("two=",two,"\n")
> setwd("..")
> print(getwd())
> three<-myfcd("nd2") # But this does not
> cat("three=",three,"\n")
>
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