[R-pkg-devel] Cannot submit package due to false-positive rejection

[Martin Maechler]

>>>>> Jamie Lentin 
>>>>>     on Sat, 29 Oct 2022 13:14:20 +0100 writes:

    > On 2022-10-28 20:48, Ying Li via R-package-devel wrote:
    >>> Flavor: r-devel-windows-x86_64 Check: examples, Result:
    >>> NOTE Examples with CPU (user + system) or elapsed time >
    >>> 10s user system elapsed RDM 40.05 0.89 40.94
    >> 
    >> Explain: This is because a large dataset is used in the
    >> example. An example with large dataset is necessary, as
    >> this package is meant for analyzing large datasets.

    > Wrapping with \donttest{} may help here. Despite the name,
    > CMD check --as-cran *will* run these tests, but will not
    > be subject to the same time restrictions.

    > On submission of your package, the examples will be run
    > with and without \donttest{}. However, the periodic
    > (daily?) checks that get run skip the \donttest{} checks,
    > to keep the CPU time these require manageable, and this is
    > what the NOTE is about.

    > Cheers,

Sorry to be blunt but I think only Roy's is good here:
Make a small data example even though the package is for large
data ... maybe adding a comment about the really large data
example, in a vignette or possibly simply commented out (or \donttest{..}).

Do - by all means - have examples in your code  which run --
also always on CRAN.
\donttest{} or some sneaky tricks to circumenvent CRAN checks
running the example are only cheap workarounds, but not really
good.

Reasons:
- Users new to your package may just want to try a new
  function  via   example(<your_function>)   {or nowadays also
  clicking "Run example" in some setups}

  I do tend to misttrust (or worse) packages which do nothing in
  a such case.

- When we, as R Core, consider tweaking / changing R we do
  sometimes in advance and the CRAN processes do very regularly
  run all the checks of all CRAN with "R-devel", the development
  version and hence potential "next version" of R.
  Your package's example will be run (if they are ..!) and you
  as package author may be notified well in advance should the
  examples stop running.


With regards,
Martin