R devel - Dec 2006 - promptClass misses methods

I've had repeated problems with promptClass missing methods, usually
telling me a class has no methods when it does.

In my current case, I've defined an S4 class "mspathCoefficients"
with
a print method
setMethod("print", signature(x="mspathCoefficients"),
function(x, ...)
{ # etc

The file promptClass creates has no methods in it.
> showMethods(classes="mspathCoefficients")
Function: initialize (package methods)
.Object="mspathCoefficients"
    (inherited from: .Object="ANY")

Function: print (package base)
x="mspathCoefficients"

Function: show (package methods)
object="mspathCoefficients"
    (inherited from: object="ANY")
> getGeneric("print")
standardGeneric for "print" defined from package "base"

function (x, ...) 
standardGeneric("print")
<environment: 0x84f2d88>
Methods may be defined for arguments: x 


I've looked through the code for promptClass, but nothing popped out
at me.

It may be relevant that I'm running under ESS in emacs.  However, I
get the same results running R from the command line.

Can anyone tell me what's going on here?  This is with R 2.4, and I'm
not currently using any namespace for my definitions.

Thanks.
Ross Boylan

On Thu, Nov 30, 2006 at 10:29:06PM -0800, Ross Boylan
wrote:
> I've had repeated problems with promptClass missing methods, usually
> telling me a class has no methods when it does.
> 
> In my current case, I've defined an S4 class
"mspathCoefficients" with
> a print method
> setMethod("print", signature(x="mspathCoefficients"),
function(x, ...)
> { # etc
It may also be relevant that  there is a mspathCoefficients function,
which constructs a member of the class.

Ross

>>>>> "RossB" == Ross Boylan <ross at
biostat.ucsf.edu>
>>>>>     on Thu, 30 Nov 2006 22:29:06 -0800 writes:
    RossB> I've had repeated problems with promptClass missing
    RossB> methods, usually telling me a class has no methods
    RossB> when it does.

    RossB> In my current case, I've defined an S4 class
    RossB> "mspathCoefficients" with a print method
    RossB> setMethod("print",
signature(x="mspathCoefficients"),
    RossB> function(x, ...)  { # etc

You should *not* define "print" methods for S4 classes;
rather you should define "show" methods.

    RossB> The file promptClass creates has no methods in it.
    >> showMethods(classes="mspathCoefficients")
    RossB> Function: initialize (package methods)
    RossB> .Object="mspathCoefficients" (inherited from:
    RossB> .Object="ANY")

so it's just inherited from "ANY"

    RossB> Function: print (package base) 
    RossB> x="mspathCoefficients"

that's the one

    RossB> Function: show (package methods)
    RossB> object="mspathCoefficients"
    RossB>  (inherited from: object="ANY")
so it's just inherited from "ANY"

Ross, it would really be more polite to your readers if you
followed the posting guide and posted complete
fully-reproducible code...

    >> getGeneric("print")
    RossB> standardGeneric for "print" defined from package
    RossB> "base"

    RossB> function (x, ...)  standardGeneric("print")
    RossB> <environment: 0x84f2d88> Methods may be defined for
    RossB> arguments: x


    RossB> I've looked through the code for promptClass, but
    RossB> nothing popped out at me.

    RossB> It may be relevant that I'm running under ESS in
    RossB> emacs.  However, I get the same results running R
    RossB> from the command line.

    RossB> Can anyone tell me what's going on here?  This is
    RossB> with R 2.4, and I'm not currently using any namespace
    RossB> for my definitions.

[and not a package either?]

I'm very willing to look at this, once
you've provided what the posting guide asks for, see above.

Regards,
Martin