I'm reposting my original message here per request (see below)

As a workaround, I've used this tip (http://www.mail-archive.com/r-sig-mac@stat.math.ethz.ch/msg04700.html 
) to make R display help files in my default web browser (Camino)  
which displays all text correctly.

I took the opportunity to look at the CSS stylesheet for the help file  
when displayed in the browser, and all it calls for it is a monospace  
font family (not a specific font).  As far as I can tell, the help  
browser (help viewer?  What is it actually called?) is not finding a  
monospace font to use.  Anyone have any ideas why?  I recently  
upgraded (fresh install, Migration Assistant) to Snow Leopard and I  
think that is where the problem occurred.

Matt



Begin forwarded message:

> From: Prof Brian Ripley <ripley@stats.ox.ac.uk>
> Date: 10 February, 2010 1:57:08 AM CST
> To: Matthew Burton-Kelly <matthew.burton.kelly@und.edu>
> Subject: Re: [R] Bad characters/fonts or something in R Help
>
> That is a screenshot from R.app, for which you were advised to use  
> the R-sig-mac list (and I suggest you do ask there).  On a Mac, such  
> things are often a corrupt font cache, so you could try rebuilding  
> that first.  See e.g.
> http://www.macworld.com/article/139383/2009/03/fontcacheclear.html
>
> On Tue, 9 Feb 2010, Matthew Burton-Kelly wrote:
>
>> Hello,
>> I am experiencing problems viewing the help files in R.  The easiest
>> way to describe this is to just post an image.  You can see what I'm
>> talking about here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/matthewbk/ 
>> 4344722268/
>>
>> If I copy and paste the "weird" characters, they show up like they
>> should.  Am I missing a specific font?
>>
>> Mac 10.6 Snow Leopard
>> R 2.10.1 GUI 1.31 Leopard build 32-bit (5537)
>>
>> Thanks for any help.  I have uninstalled and reinstalled but to no
>> avail.
>>
>> Matt
>>
>>
>>
>> -----------------------------
>> Matthew Burton-Kelly, M.S.
>> Graduate Student
>> Department of Geology and Geological Engineering
>> University of North Dakota
>> (802) 922-3696
>> matthew.burton.kelly@und.nodak.edu
>> matthew.burtonkelly@gmail.com
>> http://www.protichnoctem.com
>> --------------------------------------------
>> "About thirty years ago there was much talk that geologists ought  
>> only
>> to observe and not theorize; and I well remember someone saying that
>> at this rate a man might as well go into a gravelpit and count the
>> pebbles and describe the colors.  How odd it is that anyone should  
>> not
>> see that all observation must be for or against some view if it is to
>> be of any service!"
>> -Charles Darwin, in an 1861 letter to Henry Fawcett.
>>
>>
>> 	[[alternative HTML version deleted]]
>>
>> ______________________________________________
>> R-help@r-project.org mailing list
>> https://stat.ethz.ch/mailman/listinfo/r-help
>> PLEASE do read the posting guide http://www.R-project.org/posting-guide.html
>> and provide commented, minimal, self-contained, reproducible code.
>>
>
> -- 
> Brian D. Ripley,                  ripley@stats.ox.ac.uk
> Professor of Applied Statistics,  http://www.stats.ox.ac.uk/~ripley/
> University of Oxford,             Tel:  +44 1865 272861 (self)
> 1 South Parks Road,                     +44 1865 272866 (PA)
> Oxford OX1 3TG, UK                Fax:  +44 1865 272595




-----------------------------
Matthew Burton-Kelly, M.S.
Graduate Student
Department of Geology and Geological Engineering
University of North Dakota
(802) 922-3696
matthew.burton.kelly@und.nodak.edu
matthew.burtonkelly@gmail.com
http://www.protichnoctem.com
--------------------------------------------
"About thirty years ago there was much talk that geologists ought only  
to observe and not theorize; and I well remember someone saying that  
at this rate a man might as well go into a gravelpit and count the  
pebbles and describe the colors.  How odd it is that anyone should not  
see that all observation must be for or against some view if it is to  
be of any service!"
-Charles Darwin, in an 1861 letter to Henry Fawcett.


	[[alternative HTML version deleted]]

