R devel - Jan 2013 - Incorporating single functions from other packages: rules and regulations?

Hi,

In a little pkg I'm developing I am in need of the functionality provided by
plotrix::listDepth.

I am loath of having the depend on and import the whole package just for 
that purpose.

What is an acceptable way of integrating this functionality into my own 
package? Just copying the function and referencing it in the documentation 
appropriately?

Thanks for any hints.

Sincerely, Joh

On 13 January 2013 at 11:16, Johannes Graumann wrote:
| In a little pkg I'm developing I am in need of the functionality provided
by
| plotrix::listDepth.
| 
| I am loath of having the depend on and import the whole package just for 
| that purpose.

Step back and realize that your total R installation (including all packages)
is already much bigger than the single package. And derives value from all
those packages.

So I would use importForm(plotrix, listDepth) in my package's NAMESPACE, and
add the Imports: in the DESCRIPTION.

IMHO that is the right way to do it rather than creating _stale_ and (even
worse) _disconnected_ copies which will never receive updates or fixes from
the _original author_ of that code.

Dirk

-- 
Dirk Eddelbuettel | edd at debian.org | http://dirk.eddelbuettel.com