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

[Duncan Murdoch]

I believe file.choose() remembers the last choice, and repeats that 
location the next time you call it. This is true when it is called at 
top level or from within a function.

The first time you call it in a session, it will default to the current 
working directory, but not after that.

Front ends are allowed to replace the underlying function, so that may 
depend on which front end you are using.  I'm talking about R.app on a Mac.

Duncan Murdoch

On 2024-12-18 10:32 a.m., J C Nash 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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