[R-pkg-devel] Require <package>-package.Rd?

[Georgi Boshnakov]

> help(package="utils") shows the index, not utils-package.Rd.

Indeed, I should have run it before emailing, I meant:

package ? utils

which does show "utils-package.Rd" and similarly for other packages. 

'help(topic)' shows a file which contains alias for 'topic'. In the case of 'help(utils)', fille "utils-package.Rd" has an alias for "utils", so tht is shown.

For what it's worth, the index shown by 'help(package = "package")' is very useful for html formatted pages, where everything is linked and the links to the vignettes appear at the top.   If html is not the default rendering, one can use 

    help(package = "Matrix", help_type = "html")

 to get this.


Georgi Boshnakov


-----Original Message-----
From: Viechtbauer, Wolfgang (SP) [mailto:wolfgang.viechtbauer using maastrichtuniversity.nl] 
Sent: 24 September 2019 14:34
To: Georgi Boshnakov; r-package-devel using r-project.org
Subject: RE: Require <package>-package.Rd?

Hi Georgi,

help(package="utils") shows the index, not utils-package.Rd.

help(utils) shows utils-package.Rd.

Best,
Wolfgang

-----Original Message-----
From: Georgi Boshnakov [mailto:georgi.boshnakov using manchester.ac.uk] 
Sent: Tuesday, 24 September, 2019 15:02
To: Viechtbauer, Wolfgang (SP); r-package-devel using r-project.org
Subject: RE: Require <package>-package.Rd?

It is worth noting that 

help(package="<package>")

shows  file <package>-package.Rd, while 

help(<package>)

shows topic "package".

Topic <package>-package.Rd is also printed at the top of the pdf manual, while package.Rd follows the alphabetical ordering of the remaining topics. It is unfortunate that Hadley Wickham's tools (at least 'pkgdown') recommend and use <package>.Rd, instead of <package>-package.Rd as overall package description. 

Georgi Boshnakov

-----Original Message-----
From: R-package-devel [mailto:r-package-devel-bounces using r-project.org] On Behalf Of Viechtbauer, Wolfgang (SP)
Sent: 24 September 2019 13:16
To: r-package-devel using r-project.org
Subject: [R-pkg-devel] Require <package>-package.Rd?

Hi All,

When starting to work with an unfamiliar package, one might typically look for vignettes, a paper/book accompanying the package, a package website, and of course the help files themselves, but

help(package="<package>")

is often not so useful -- such a listing of functions (with titles) might not clarify what the main 'workhorses' of the package are and how to get started. Personally, the first thing I do is try:

help(<package>)

in the hopes that the package author(s) have created a <package>-package.Rd file to get new users started (or to point them to appropriate places to get going). In my experience, if such a package help file is available, it is tremendously useful.

Unfortunately, many packages do not provide a <package>-package.Rd file. I am curious how others and CRAN members would feel about making this a requirement (not retrospectively, but at least for new / resubmissions).

Best,
Wolfgang