R help - Mar 2008 - Overloading %*%

Hi,

Is it possible to supply a new method for the %*% operator? I need to
provide a new method for working on variables of a newly defined class,
"ad". I've had no problems overloading +, * etc.., using code such
as:

"+.ad" <- function(a,b = NULL)
{
    # further code here
}

I've tried to do the same thing with %*%:

"%*%.ad" <- function(a,b)
{
    # further code here
}

However this doesn't work; the new method is never called and the standard
%*% operator is used instead. I've had a look at the documentation and it
appears to be because the %*% operator is not part of the "Math",
"Ops",
"Summary" or "Complex" groups. I was wondering if anybody
knew of a
work-around for this?

(I realise that I can just do %*%.ad(a,b) when I want to use the new method,
but it would be much better for me if I could find something more
transparent.)

Thanks,

Joe Cainey

	[[alternative HTML version deleted]]

Joe Cainey <jcainey <at> gmail.com> writes:
> Is it possible to supply a new method for the %*% operator? 
clipped
> I've tried to do the same thing with %*%:
> 
> "%*%.ad" <- function(a,b)
> {
>     # further code here
> }
> However this doesn't work; the new method is never called and the
standard
> %*% operator is used instead. I've had a look at the documentation and
it
> appears to be because the %*% operator is not part of the "Math",
"Ops",
> "Summary" or "Complex" groups. I was wondering if
anybody knew of a
> work-around for this?
According to the help page for %*%, it is S4 generic but not S3, so
you might make further progress using S4 methods.
> Thanks,
> 
> Joe Cainey
> 
best,

Ken