R devel - Jul 2021 - Feature request: Change default library path on Windows

> Shouldn't it be in one of the AppData directories?
I asked that same question on twitter. Here was a response
(https://twitter.com/bmwiernik/status/1419033079495147522):
* But it's not for files that should be user-accessible, like a
library (cf. Zotero has preferences in AppData , but library files in
%USERPROFILE%/Zotero)
* So, for example, in R's case it could make sense for the core
packages to be installed in %APPDATA%/R/R-4.1.0/library" rather than
"C:/Program Files/R/R-4.1.0/library" (either is fairly common), but
user packages should be somewhere more accessible.

Here is a quote from
https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/apps/design/app-settings/store-and-retrieve-app-data:
"App data is mutable data that is created and managed by a specific
app. It includes runtime state, app settings, user preferences,
reference content (such as the dictionary definitions in a dictionary
app), and other settings"
I don't think libraries fall into the categories of state or settings.

-Steve Haroz

On Sun, Jul 25, 2021, 6:54 AM Steve Haroz <steve.haroz at gmail.com>
wrote:
> > Shouldn't it be in one of the AppData directories?
>
> I asked that same question on twitter. Here was a response
> (https://twitter.com/bmwiernik/status/1419033079495147522):
> * But it's not for files that should be user-accessible, like a
> library (cf. Zotero has preferences in AppData , but library files in
> %USERPROFILE%/Zotero)
> * So, for example, in R's case it could make sense for the core
> packages to be installed in %APPDATA%/R/R-4.1.0/library" rather than
> "C:/Program Files/R/R-4.1.0/library" (either is fairly common),
but
> user packages should be somewhere more accessible.
>
> Here is a quote from
>
>
https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/apps/design/app-settings/store-and-retrieve-app-data
> :
> "App data is mutable data that is created and managed by a specific
> app. It includes runtime state, app settings, user preferences,
> reference content (such as the dictionary definitions in a dictionary
> app), and other settings"
> I don't think libraries fall into the categories of state or settings.
>
Well, no,  but installed, and thus available for use by scripts, extension
packages are somewhat more comparable to dictionary definitions in in a
dictionary app.

They seem fairly analogous, in fact. Packages are essentially dictionaries
of available functions that scripts (equivalent roughly to text documents
here) can call.

That said I dont have a super strong opinion and don't use windows, just
pointing out that its not clear this would violate the intent of the cited
guidance.

Another option would be to allow users to set the default library location
from within the windows installer (if you can't already).

~G



> -Steve Haroz
>
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> https://stat.ethz.ch/mailman/listinfo/r-devel
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On 25/07/2021 9:54 a.m., Steve Haroz wrote:
>> Shouldn't it be in one of the AppData directories?
> 
> I asked that same question on twitter. Here was a response
> (https://twitter.com/bmwiernik/status/1419033079495147522):
> * But it's not for files that should be user-accessible, like a
> library (cf. Zotero has preferences in AppData , but library files in
> %USERPROFILE%/Zotero)
> * So, for example, in R's case it could make sense for the core
> packages to be installed in %APPDATA%/R/R-4.1.0/library" rather than
> "C:/Program Files/R/R-4.1.0/library" (either is fairly common),
but
> user packages should be somewhere more accessible.
> 
> Here is a quote from
>
https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/apps/design/app-settings/store-and-retrieve-app-data:
> "App data is mutable data that is created and managed by a specific
> app. It includes runtime state, app settings, user preferences,
> reference content (such as the dictionary definitions in a dictionary
> app), and other settings"
> I don't think libraries fall into the categories of state or settings.
I saw that link, and like you and Gabe, found it somewhat ambiguous.

I don't know bmwiernik, but from the sound of it, he doesn't speak for 
Microsoft.

So I would say that I still believe Microsoft doesn't give clear 
guidance for this.  Yes, %USERPROFILE%/R has some non-Microsoft 
precedents, but that's irrelevant.  This is an issue to take up with MS, 
not with R.  Let them describe *clearly* what they want, and R will 
(eventually) do it (but probably not before they've changed their clear 
guidance).

Duncan Murdoch

P.S. I am a former member of R Core who did Windows support.  I now 
detest that OS.  I suspect nobody who is still on R Core doesn't detest it.