[R-SIG-Mac] feature request: paste and match style / open help files in external browser (R.app)

[Ben Madin]

Thanks Steve,

On 01/04/2010, at 11:20 , Steve Lianoglou wrote:

> Hi Ben,
> 
> On Wed, Mar 31, 2010 at 7:34 PM, Ben Madin
> <lists at remoteinformation.com.au> wrote:
>> G'day Simon et al,
>> 
>> On 31/03/2010, at 23:17 , Martin Batholdy wrote:
>> 
>>> I use the help-functions a lot to look up all the different arguments of a function.
>>> What I would love is if it would be possible to open help-files in a different program (like Safari).
>>> So that when I type ?par (or help("par")) my default web browser pops up and shows me the help-file.
>>> That would give me the opportunity to easily search the help-file via CMD+F and to quickly switch between a help-file and a script.
>> 
>> An alternative feature option I often wished for when learning a new package would be the ability to select the text in the help window, and use the Command-Return key combination (as for the script window) to execute it (ie for the example text) instead of the copy - change window - paste - return combination... thus making stepping through example scripts much easier... but I suspect this to have hidden complexities!
> 
> While this isn't exactly what you're asking for, I'm curious if you
> knew that typing, say:
> 
> R> example(lm)
> 
> at the R prompt would run the code in the example section of the lm
> documentation?

I was aware, but often found myself wanting to run just snippets etc.

cheers

Ben