According to R-exts:
The second purpose for @file{install.R} is to hold code that needs to be
executed each time the package is attached, after the image is
loaded. Few packages have a need for such code so @file{install.R} is
normally an empty file.
The optional file @file{R_PROFILE.R} is executed before the code in the
@file{R} subdirectory and should be used to set up an environment needed
only to evaluate the code (which is run with the @option{--vanilla}
command-line flag). Very few packages will need such code.
Indeed, both @file{install.R} and @file{R_PROFILE.R} should be viewed as
experimental; the mechanism to execute code before attaching or
installing the package may change in the near future.
(Actually it's during loading, not attaching, a namespace, for packages
with namespaces.)
Looking on CRAN, it seems that two packages use R_PROFILE.R for
`options(echo=FALSE)', which does not do anything useful AFAICS. A
non-empty install.R is used for
require(methods)
require(boot)
require("Hmisc")
data(Wcrit.R)
and that's not the intention (and in particular require() should have its
return value checked!) -- this is best done in .First.lib/.onLoad.
One problem is that the package has no way to prevent a saved image being
forced with INSTALL --save.
Since this mechanism is a maintenance nightmare (especially with
lazy-loading +/- saving images) I propose we drop it for 2.0.0. Instead,
just as for lazy-loading, we should have a field in the DESCRIPTION file,
with
SaveImage: yes
forcing saving the image, and any other value forcing not saving it.
Note that most packages which currently save an image probably want to
use lazy-loading instead and so should have LazyLoad: yes in their
DESCRIPTION file.
The proposed change is not backwards compatible but affects very few CRAN
packages, for all of which there is better solution that is backwards
compatible. I have not looked at BioConductor or elsewhere, so please
will package authors let us know of any examples where R_PROFILE.R or
install.R is essential (and why).
--
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
>>>>> Prof Brian Ripley writes:> According to R-exts:> The second purpose for @file{install.R} is to hold code that needs > to be executed each time the package is attached, after the image is > loaded. Few packages have a need for such code so @file{install.R} > is normally an empty file.> The optional file @file{R_PROFILE.R} is executed before the code in > the @file{R} subdirectory and should be used to set up an > environment needed only to evaluate the code (which is run with the > @option{--vanilla} command-line flag). Very few packages will need > such code. Indeed, both @file{install.R} and @file{R_PROFILE.R} > should be viewed as experimental; the mechanism to execute code > before attaching or installing the package may change in the near > future.> (Actually it's during loading, not attaching, a namespace, for packages > with namespaces.)> Looking on CRAN, it seems that two packages use R_PROFILE.R for > `options(echo=FALSE)', which does not do anything useful AFAICS. A > non-empty install.R is used for> require(methods) > require(boot) > require("Hmisc") > data(Wcrit.R)> and that's not the intention (and in particular require() should have its > return value checked!) -- this is best done in .First.lib/.onLoad.> One problem is that the package has no way to prevent a saved image being > forced with INSTALL --save.> Since this mechanism is a maintenance nightmare (especially with > lazy-loading +/- saving images) I propose we drop it for 2.0.0. > Instead, just as for lazy-loading, we should have a field in the > DESCRIPTION file, with> SaveImage: yes> forcing saving the image, and any other value forcing not saving it.Fine with me. Can we perhaps agree to allow both yes/no and true/false for such logical package DESCRIPTION metadata (and also irrespective of case)? -k> Note that most packages which currently save an image probably want to > use lazy-loading instead and so should have LazyLoad: yes in their > DESCRIPTION file.> The proposed change is not backwards compatible but affects very few CRAN > packages, for all of which there is better solution that is backwards > compatible. I have not looked at BioConductor or elsewhere, so please > will package authors let us know of any examples where R_PROFILE.R or > install.R is essential (and why).> -- > 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> ______________________________________________ > R-devel@stat.math.ethz.ch mailing list > https://www.stat.math.ethz.ch/mailman/listinfo/r-devel