Martin and I have `written' a function apropos() for finding all objects with names matching pattern. I attach code and documentation. Perhaps one could include it in the distribution proper. We are not sure about returning the position in the search list along with the matching names found. Martin thinks it should be on by default, I think it should be off so that the functions does the same as in Lisp systems ... Perhaps someone else can decide. -k *** apropos.R ********************************************************** apropos <- function (pattern) { x <- character(0) for (i in 1 : length(search())) x <- c(x, ls(pos =3D i, pattern =3D pattern)) x } apropos <- function (pattern, where =3D FALSE) { ## Give all objects which match _pattern_. ## By Kurt Hornik & Martin M=E4chler, May 1997. x <- character(0) for (i in seq(search())) { ll <- length(li <- ls(pos =3D i, pattern =3D pattern)) if (ll) if (where) x <- c(x, structure(li, names =3D rep(i, ll))) else x <- c(x, li) } x } *** apropos.d ********************************************************** TITLE(apropos @@ Find all objects with names matching a pattern) USAGE(apropos(pattern, where =3D FALSE)) ARGUMENTS( ARG(pattern @@ a regular expression to match against) ARG(where @@ a logical indicating whether positions in the search list should also be returned) ) DESCRIPTION( LANG(apropos) returns a vector of character strings giving the names of all objects in the search list matching LANG(pattern). If LANG(where) is LANG(TRUE), their position in the search list is returned as their names attribute. ) EXAMPLES( apropos("lm") apropos("ls") apropos("lq") BLANK # need the `\\' apropos("\\[") BLANK # everything length(apropos(".")) BLANK # those starting with `pr' apropos("^pr") BLANK # the 1-letter things apropos("^.$") # the 1-2-letter things apropos("^..?$") # the 2-to-4 letter things apropos("^.{2,4}$") BLANK # the 8-and-more letter things apropos("^.{8,}$") table(nchar(apropos("^.{8,}$"))) ) =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- r-devel mailing list -- Read http://www.ci.tuwien.ac.at/~hornik/R/R-FAQ.html Send "info", "help", or "[un]subscribe" (in the "body", not the subject !) To: r-devel-request@stat.math.ethz.ch =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-