[R-pkg-devel] Changes in function call with respect to the current published version

[John Fox]

Dear Jose,

Assuming that you can fix the bugs in the original function, one 
approach would be to make myfun() generic, say myfun <- function(y, ...) 
UseMethod("myfun"), with the (fixed) original myfun() as the default 
method and a new function method, which would probably set up a call to 
the default method. Then existing code wouldn't break and users would 
have the option of using a formula.

I hope this helps,
  John
-- 
John Fox, Professor Emeritus
McMaster University
Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
web: https://www.john-fox.ca/
--

On 2024-12-17 4:00 p.m., Jose Barrera-Gómez wrote:
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> Dear List,
> 
> I have a package that works in the context of regression models. The main
> function has arguments (y, x, z, data, ...), where y is the response
> variable, x is the explanatory variable and z can be other covariates.
> 
> Due to some bugs, I am interested in changing the call from (y, x, z, data,
> ...) to (formula, data, ...).
> 
> For instance, current usage is
> 
> myfun(y = birthweight, x = cotinine, z = age, data = mydata, ...)
> 
> and new usage would be
> 
> myfun(formula = birthweight ~ cotinine + age, data = mydata, ...)
> 
> This change would have no impact on the usage for the rest of the package.
> 
> My concern is that users updating the package won't be able to reproduce
> old analyses. I.e. they would need to update the calls to myfun (but
> nothing else related to the usage of other functions or methods).
> 
> I think the new usage would result in some advantages and bugs fixing and
> only the disadvantage I mentioned just above.
> 
> I would appreciate advice on:
> 
> 1) There could be other disadvantages for users of previous versions that I
> don't see?
> 
> 2) What would be the best location(s) in the documentation to explain in
> detail this change?
> 
> Thanks in advance,
> 
> Jose Barrera
> Statistician, Associate Lecturer
> 
> *IS**Global*
> Barcelona Institute for Global Health - Campus MAR
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> Doctor Aiguader, 88
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