[R-pkg-devel] apparent infinite loop in GitHub Action on a tiny package

[Spencer Graves]

p.s. I filed


I reported an "issue" on GitHub with title, "devtools::load_all() 
infinite recursion #2617" suggesting that load_all() be modified to 
prevent an infinite recursion:


https://github.com/r-lib/devtools/issues/2617


Thanks again to Duncan -- and to this email list more generally.


Spencer Graves


##########


Hi, Duncan:


That's not just weird, it's the source of the infinite loop.


Please excuse me for taking your time with this.


Thanks very much. Spencer Graves


On 9/7/25 14:43, Duncan Murdoch wrote:
> You're doing one strange thing:  the only code in the package is
> 
>    devtools::load_all()
> 
> in the single .R file.  That's a weird thing to do.
> 
> Duncan Murdoch
> 
> On 2025-09-07 3:10 p.m., Spencer Graves wrote:
>> Hello, All:
>>
>>
>> GitHub Action has been running on 5 platforms for over a half hour on a
>> tiny package:
>>
>>
>> https://github.com/sbgraves237/SS4Maddison
>>
>>
>> I'm trying to follow the current recommendation in Wickham and Bryan, R
>> Packages.[1] I just added ~R/MaddisonProjectData.R, documenting data
>> objects I have yet to add to the package, attempting to follow the
>> instructions in R Packages, section 7.1.2 Documenting datasets.[2]
>>
>>
>> Then "devtools::load_all()" on my local computer put R into an apparent
>> infinite loop.[3] After breaking out of that, I managed to replicate the
>> behavior on 5 platforms on GitHub Action.
>>
>>
>> What do you suggest?
>> Thanks,
>> Spencer Graves
>>
>>
>> [1] Wickham and Bryan, R Packages:
>>
>>
>> https://r-pkgs.org/
>>
>>
>> [2] Wickham and Bryan, R Packages, section 7.1.2 Documenting datasets:
>>
>>
>> https://r-pkgs.org/data.html
>>
>>
>> [3] Sys.info()
>>                             sysname
>>                            "Darwin"
>>                             release
>>                            "24.6.0"
>>                             version
>> "Darwin Kernel Version 24.6.0: Mon Jul 14 11:30:30 PDT 2025;
>> root:xnu-11417.140.69~1/RELEASE_ARM64_T6020"
>>                            nodename
>>                               "Mac"
>>                             machine
>>                             "arm64"
>>                               login
>>                              "root"
>>                                user
>>                                "sg"
>>                      effective_user
>>                                "sg"
>>
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>