R devel - Dec 2025 - text() function pos= argument optional mnemonic alternatives: b, l, t, r

may I suggest allowing 'b', 'l', 't' and 'r' as
allowed alternatives for 1,
2, 3, 4 ?

(below, left, top, right)

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>>>>> ivo welch 
>>>>>     on Sat, 13 Dec 2025 22:42:44 -0800 writes:
    > may I suggest allowing 'b', 'l', 't' and
'r' as allowed
    > alternatives for 1, 2, 3, 4 ?

    > (below, left, top, right)

The
  1 = below (or bottom), 2 = left,
  3 = above (or top),    4 = right

is something R base-graphics users (like you and me) have to
learn for using
1. axis(side, ...)  
2. Axis(*, ..., side) 
3. mtext(*, side, ..)
4. identify()$pos   {return value}
5.. text.default(.. pos)

and possibly another few I've missed;
hence text.default() is not at all the only place.

................

I do note that the help pages are not entirely consistent,
as we indeed use  below _or_ bottom  and above _or_ top :

1.-3. all have 'side'  but use
axis: {side}{an integer specifying... as follows: 
    1=below, 2=left, 3=above and 4=right.}
Axis: {side}{an integer specifying.... [ == axis !! ]
mtext:{side}{..which s.... (1=bottom, 2=left, 3=top, 4=right).}

4. value {pos}, .. where the labels were placed..
    (1=below, 2=left, 3=above, 4=right and 0=no offset)

5. {pos}: pos.. specifier...  If specified .. overrides {adj}.
     Values of \code{1}, \code{2}, \code{3} and \code{4},
     respectively indicate 
     positions below, to the left of, 
     above and to the right of the specified {(x,y)}
     coordinates.

.... which would tend to tell me to only change
the  mtext.Rd  and use  {below, above} there as well.

Martin

--
Martin Maechler
ETH Zurich  and  R Core team