[R-wiki] R Wiki structure - level 1 & start page

[Frank E Harrell Jr]

Philippe Grosjean wrote:
> OK, let's proceed step-by-step.
> 
> Do we agree with the top level structure of the wiki:
> 
> - beginners: collects together material for first time R users (and for 
> curious people wanting to discover what R is). Subsections must still be 
> defined.
> 
> - documentation: the wikified .Rd pages of all CRAN and Bioconductor 
> packages, one subsection per package. Automatic update of the pages; 
> free discussion at the end of each page.
> 
> - packages: one wiki page for each package on CRAN and Bioconductor 
> (subsections CRAN / Bioconductor + one page automatically generated for 
> each package). Package authors can add material there (wiki versions of 
> vignettes, todo lists, further examples, links to related resources, 
> etc.). This would be a kind of default package homepage, i.e., we will 
> advise to use it as default URL in the package description.
> 
> - snippets: this is a huge section to contain various short pages. We 
> have currently:
>    + tips: tips & tricks about R (please, do not comment yet on 
> subsections there). The template for this is Paul Johnson's Rtips + 
> James Wettenhall R Tcltk examples. It will also contain wikified 
> versions of interesting threads on R-Help
>    + cookbook/examples: (I wonded if we really need to make two 
> different sections here). Pages explaining from beginning to end how to 
> make a given analysis in R, examples in focused on practical application 
> of the method, cookbook is more "theoretical".
>    + faq: shouldn't it compete with the existing FAQ files on CRAN? The 
> advantage of the wiki version is that other people can easy add FAQs,... 
> but is it really an advantage?
>    + surprises: suggested by Tony Plate: a special location for tricky 
> stuff.
>    + notes: really a free section for consideration about R development, 
> R use, etc.
>    + easier: a collection of functions to ease R use. Could perhaps 
> become a collaborative r package on CRAN in the future.
> 
> - tutorials: typically, longer documents than in snippets: introductions 
> to R, tutorials, session demos, ...
> 
> - varia: anything that does not fit in the other sections. Ben proposed 
> "miscellaneous" instead, but (1) it is longer and (2) a section name 
> beginning with 'm' falls between the previous one in alphabetic order, 
> which is less satisfactory in the index. What about the idea of a 
> 'challenge' section there? (see 
> http://www.sciviews.org/_rgui/wiki/doku.php?id=varia:0_introduction)
> 
> - weblinks: related web resources.
> 
> - Wiki: all about the Wiki itself.
> 
> There is also a rather sober proposal for the 'start' page. Please, keep 
> in mind that the 'index' at left will be replaced with a sidebar 
> proposing direct links to various places of interest (a little bit like 
> the left part of http://wiki.tcl.tk/). Would you like to propose an 
> alternate 'start' page, feel free to do so by creating 'start2', 
> 'start3', etc...
> 
> Best,
> 
> Philippe Grosjean

I like this design and just wish to emphasize the importance of 
cookbook/examples and ask the group to consider splitting data 
manipulation examples from analysis examples.  Data manipulation 
resources are sorely needed by many users.

Frank


-- 
Frank E Harrell Jr   Professor and Chair           School of Medicine
                      Department of Biostatistics   Vanderbilt University