Hello,

 

I am just beginning to use R, after several years of using S-Plus (with
mixed success). I saw a recommendation on another mailing list for the
Environmetrics and Spatial Task Views, as a good way for a new user to get
started actually using R. The Task Views page at CRAN says:

"To automatically install these views, the ctv package needs to be
installed, e.g., via
install.packages("ctv")and then the views can be installed via install.views
(after loading ctv), e.g.,
install.views("Econometrics")"

I have installed "ctv" and I'm assuming that "loading ctv" means entering 

 

>library("ctv")

 

If I then enter

 

> install.views("Environmetrics")

 

I get the error message 

 

"Warning message:

CRAN task view Environmetrics not available in:
install.views("Environmetrics")"

If I then go up to the Packages menu and Set CRAN Mirror to, for example,
USA (CA 2) and again enter

> install.views("Environmetrics")

I now get the error message

"Error in install.packages(pkgs, CRAN = views[[i]]$repository, dependencies
= dependencies,  : 

        unused argument(s) (CRAN ...)"

 

Entering "CRAN.views" in the R GUI does indeed give a complete list of task
view names, topics, maintainers, and repositories. Selecting different CRAN
mirrors produces the same error messages as above, as does attempting to
install a different task view.

 

I have searched the R-help mailing list archive and found several postings
announcing the availability of task views, but not on how to install them. I
have searched the pdf manuals, and found no instances of "task view". I have
also searched the FAQs. The help for "install.views" basically repeats the
information on the CRAN site, providing information on using the function,
but not on actually installing task views. The example in the article on
task views in the May 2005 issue of R News uses the "lib = " argument, which
is not mentioned in the help for "install.views". It appears that the
instructions at CRAN for installing task views are missing at least one
step. Can anyone point me to a reliable set of instructions for installing
(not to mention actually using) a task view? Many thanks in advance.

 

Regards,

Mark C. Andersen

 

Dr. Mark C. Andersen

Associate Professor

Department of Fishery and Wildlife Sciences

New Mexico State University

Las Cruces NM 88003-0003

phone: 505-646-8034

fax: 505-646-1281

 


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