R devel - Mar 2011 - Extending type list: names and inherited methods issue

Hi,

I want to extend the type list, but it looks like the names are not 
handled properly (in the show method), not the [ method. See below for 
code example.
I imagine this comes from the S3/S4 mixing, but I would like to 
understand and the recommended work around (that avoid redefining all 
the list methods [, $, etc...).
Thank you.

Bests,
Renaud

# define S4 class that inherits from list
setClass('A', contains='list')

# nothing to say when one creates an object with an unnamed list
x <- new('A', list(1,2,3))
x

# set the names: seems ok but they are not printed
names(x) <- letters[1:3]
names(x)
x
# same thing if one put the S3 .Data slot
names(x at .Data) <- letters[4:6]
names(x)
x

# the subsetting works but returns a list instead of the expected object 
of class A
class(x[1])


 > sessionInfo()
R version 2.12.1 (2010-12-16)
Platform: x86_64-pc-linux-gnu (64-bit)

locale:
  [1] LC_CTYPE=en_ZA.utf8       LC_NUMERIC=C              
LC_TIME=en_ZA.utf8        LC_COLLATE=en_ZA.utf8     
LC_MONETARY=C             LC_MESSAGES=en_ZA.utf8    LC_PAPER=en_ZA.utf8
  [8] LC_NAME=C                 LC_ADDRESS=C              
LC_TELEPHONE=C            LC_MEASUREMENT=en_ZA.utf8 LC_IDENTIFICATION=C

attached base packages:
[1] stats     graphics  grDevices utils     datasets  methods   base

-- 
Renaud Gaujoux
Computational Biology - University of Cape Town
South Africa


 

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The "names" slot is not part of the basic vector types/classes.

If you want to extend named lists, extend the class "namedList":

 > getClass("namedList")
Class "namedList" [package "methods"]

Slots:

Name:      .Data     names
Class:      list character

Extends:
Class "list", from data part
Class "vector", by class "list", distance 2

Known Subclasses: "listOfMethods"

 > setClass("myNamedList", contains = "namedList")
[1] "myNamedList"
 >
 > mm <- new("myNamedList", list(a=1,b=2))
 > mm
An object of class  "myNamedList"
$a
[1] 1

$b
[1] 2


On 3/4/11 3:30 AM, Renaud Gaujoux wrote:
> Hi,
>
> I want to extend the type list, but it looks like the names are not
> handled properly (in the show method), not the [ method. See below for
> code example.
> I imagine this comes from the S3/S4 mixing, but I would like to
> understand and the recommended work around (that avoid redefining all
> the list methods [, $, etc...).
> Thank you.
>
> Bests,
> Renaud
>
> # define S4 class that inherits from list
> setClass('A', contains='list')
>
> # nothing to say when one creates an object with an unnamed list
> x <- new('A', list(1,2,3))
> x
>
> # set the names: seems ok but they are not printed
> names(x) <- letters[1:3]
> names(x)
> x
> # same thing if one put the S3 .Data slot
> names(x at .Data) <- letters[4:6]
> names(x)
> x
>
> # the subsetting works but returns a list instead of the expected object
> of class A
> class(x[1])
>
>
>  > sessionInfo()
> R version 2.12.1 (2010-12-16)
> Platform: x86_64-pc-linux-gnu (64-bit)
>
> locale:
> [1] LC_CTYPE=en_ZA.utf8 LC_NUMERIC=C LC_TIME=en_ZA.utf8
> LC_COLLATE=en_ZA.utf8 LC_MONETARY=C LC_MESSAGES=en_ZA.utf8
> LC_PAPER=en_ZA.utf8
> [8] LC_NAME=C LC_ADDRESS=C LC_TELEPHONE=C LC_MEASUREMENT=en_ZA.utf8
> LC_IDENTIFICATION=C
>
> attached base packages:
> [1] stats graphics grDevices utils datasets methods base
>