R help - Mar 2001 - newbie questions: accessing functions globally

How can I access a function created in one data directory in another? I
have been sourcing the text file that contains the function each time I go
to another data dir. This is cumbersome, and I suspect there is a way to
make functions global.

Thanks in advance,


S. David White
Dept of Speech and Hearing Science
Ohio State University
Columbus, Ohio

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-
r-help 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-help-request at
stat.math.ethz.ch
_._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._

On Thursday 22 March 2001 21:58, David White wrote:
> How can I access a function created in one data directory in another? I
> have been sourcing the text file that contains the function each time I go
> to another data dir. This is cumbersome, and I suspect there is a way to
> make functions global.
>
> Thanks in advance,
There are several ways to achieve this. The ultimate solution would be to 
pack your functions into a package and have it loaded at startup. See the 
"Writing R Extensions" manual for more information on this. For other
ways
see help(.First).

I'm using the following in my .First function:

attach("/home/pflugs/R/my.functions.R")

"my.functions.R" is a normal text file, created by dump(). It can also
contain data sets that I use frequently.

This works from wherever I am and I can keep my personal functions in 
one place (making editing them easy). What's more, the functions don't 
"pollute" my workspace (which tends to get overfull anyway), because
they get
attached at their own position in the search() list.

I have to define .First each time I start a new working directory, but
that's
a minor inconvenience.


My 2 Rp

Kaspar Pflugshaupt

-- 


Kaspar Pflugshaupt
Geobotanical Institute
ETH Zurich, Switzerland

http://www.geobot.umnw.ethz.ch
mailto:pflugshaupt at geobot.umnw.ethz.ch
-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-
r-help 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-help-request at
stat.math.ethz.ch
_._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._

On Monday 26 March 2001 01:36, Patrick Connolly wrote:

>
> The most closely analagous way would be to create a .First function in
> a location and save that as the only thing in .RData which I could use
> the same way as I've used ./.Data/.First in Splus. I've not looked
> into `R_ENVIRON' or `~/.Renviron' as described in the help on
.First.
> Perhaps you've investigated it and can tell me if my idea is superior,
> or indeed if it is completely silly.
I haven't played with R_ENVIRON yet. I'm sure it could be used to the
same
effect, though. Your idea doesn't sound silly. Let's see...

pflugs at Aconitum:~ > R --vanilla   # start with an empty workspace

R : Copyright 2001, The R Development Core Team
Version 1.2.2  (2001-02-26)

[...]

Type `q()' to quit R.
> .First <- function() attach("/home/pflugs/R/my.functions.R")
> save.image()

gives a .RData file with just .First() in it. If we copy this into a new 
directory, R should load it automagically when started in that directory and 
execute the .First function:
> q()
pflugs at Aconitum:~ > mkdir RTest
pflugs at Aconitum:~ > cp .RData RTest
pflugs at Aconitum:~ > cd RTest/
pflugs at Aconitum:~/RTest > R

R : Copyright 2001, The R Development Core Team
Version 1.2.2  (2001-02-26)

[...]

[Previously saved workspace restored]

> search()
[1] ".GlobalEnv"                        
"file:/home/pflugs/R/my.functions.R"
[3] "Autoloads"                          "package:base"  

works as expected. I think I'll use this in the future. Thanks for the idea!

Cheers

Kaspar

-- 


Kaspar Pflugshaupt
Geobotanical Institute
ETH Zurich, Switzerland

http://www.geobot.umnw.ethz.ch
mailto:pflugshaupt at geobot.umnw.ethz.ch
-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-
r-help 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-help-request at
stat.math.ethz.ch
_._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._