[R-pkg-devel] package in 'Enhances' not in a repository

[Uwe Ligges]

On 01.07.2015 11:38, Matthew Wolak wrote:
> Hello all,
>
> I maintain the 'nadiv' package on CRAN and am unsure how best to comply
> with CRAN policy/not waste CRAN maintainers' time with respect to
> structuring my DESCRIPTION file to link with an R package not available in
> a public repository. (Note, this is slightly different from a recent
> discussion in this forum:
> https://stat.ethz.ch/pipermail/r-package-devel/2015q2/000002.html). For
> reference, you can browse the 'nadiv' package source or download it from
> GitHub (https://github.com/matthewwolak/nadiv).
>
> My issue is that I have a few functions in nadiv that can be used with
> model output from the 'asreml' package, which is an R implementation of the
> ASReml software (available from VSN International) for which one must
> purchase a license to download/use. Thus, asreml is not available in any
> form of a repository for which we can point R to manage this package.
> However, I have asreml listed under 'Enhances' as well as providing details
> where to obtain asreml in the 'Details' sections of the DESCRIPTION file. I
> do not have an 'Additional_repositories' field, as I do not think it
> appropriate in this case (happy to be told otherwise). As per CRAN policy:
>
>    "Packages on which a CRAN package depends should be available from a
> mainstream repository: if any mentioned in ‘Suggests’ or ‘Enhances’ fields
> are not from such a repository, where to obtain them at a repository should
> be specified in an ‘Additional_repositories’ field of the DESCRIPTION file
> (as a comma-separated list of repository URLs) or for other means of
> access, described in the ‘Description’ field."
>
> So I think I fall into the last phrase of this chunk. However, this will
> always create the following Note when checking the package:
>       checking package dependencies ... NOTE
>       Package which this enhances but not available for checking: ‘asreml’
>
> and the CRAN folks have e-mailed me about this. My question, then, is there
> any way I can avoid the Note so that (A) it is easier to submit updates and
> (B) I don't periodically waste the CRAN maintainers' time when they have to
> e-mail me regarding this point?

Please explain in your submission comment that the web address is 
provided in the Description of the package and use the full URL 
(inlcuding "http://").

Best,
Uwe Ligges

>
> I should say that most of the functionality and purpose of the nadiv
> package is not to facilitate the use of the asreml R package, that is just
> a minor extension I have added for convenience. I have considered just
> creating a standalone package to move only the functions dealing with
> asreml - however, I would still have this same problem. So either way, it
> would be nice to know of a good resolution. Thanks for any help!!
>
> Sincerely,
> Matthew
>
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>
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