R help - Sep 2004 - using tcltk in R under ESS/XEmacs on Windows

Sorry for the cross-post.  Not sure where the problem is...

A while back I posted an R function to R-help:

cd <- function (dir = tclvalue(tkchooseDirectory()), saveOld = FALSE, 
    loadNew = TRUE) {
    stopifnot(require(tcltk))
    if (saveOld) 
        save.image(compress = TRUE)
    setwd(dir)
    rm(list = ls(all = TRUE, envir = .GlobalEnv), envir = .GlobalEnv)
    if (loadNew && file.exists(".RData")) {
        loaded <- load(".RData", envir = .GlobalEnv)
        return(invisible(loaded))
    }

where the default value for the `dir' argument is to run the tcltk directory
chooser and get the directory name chosen.  (Thanks to Prof. John Fox for
the tcltk part!!)  While this function works fine under Rgui on Windows, it
doesn't work when running R within ESS (5.2.3) and XEmacs (21.4.13).  The
directory chooser never shows up, and dir just gets the empty string.  Does
anyone have any idea what could be the problem?  I'd very much appreciate
any pointers.

Best,
Andy

Dear Andy,

Perhaps it's possible, but I've never been able to get tcltk to work
properly under ESS/Xemacs on Windows. 

Regards,
 John
> -----Original Message-----
> From: ess-help-bounces at stat.math.ethz.ch 
> [mailto:ess-help-bounces at stat.math.ethz.ch] On Behalf Of Liaw, Andy
> Sent: Friday, September 24, 2004 3:03 PM
> To: r-help at stat.math.ethz.ch; ESS (Help list)
> Subject: using tcltk in R under ESS/XEmacs on Windows
> 
> Sorry for the cross-post.  Not sure where the problem is...
> 
> A while back I posted an R function to R-help:
> 
> cd <- function (dir = tclvalue(tkchooseDirectory()), saveOld = FALSE, 
>     loadNew = TRUE) {
>     stopifnot(require(tcltk))
>     if (saveOld) 
>         save.image(compress = TRUE)
>     setwd(dir)
>     rm(list = ls(all = TRUE, envir = .GlobalEnv), envir = .GlobalEnv)
>     if (loadNew && file.exists(".RData")) {
>         loaded <- load(".RData", envir = .GlobalEnv)
>         return(invisible(loaded))
>     }
> 
> where the default value for the `dir' argument is to run the 
> tcltk directory chooser and get the directory name chosen.  
> (Thanks to Prof. John Fox for the tcltk part!!)  While this 
> function works fine under Rgui on Windows, it doesn't work 
> when running R within ESS (5.2.3) and XEmacs (21.4.13).  The 
> directory chooser never shows up, and dir just gets the empty 
> string.  Does anyone have any idea what could be the problem? 
>  I'd very much appreciate any pointers.
> 
> Best,
> Andy
> 
> ______________________________________________
> ESS-help at stat.math.ethz.ch mailing list
> https://stat.ethz.ch/mailman/listinfo/ess-help

On Fri, 2004-09-24 at 15:02, Liaw, Andy wrote:
> Sorry for the cross-post.  Not sure where the problem is...
> 
> A while back I posted an R function to R-help:
> 
> cd <- function (dir = tclvalue(tkchooseDirectory()), saveOld = FALSE, 
>     loadNew = TRUE) {
>     stopifnot(require(tcltk))
>     if (saveOld) 
>         save.image(compress = TRUE)
>     setwd(dir)
>     rm(list = ls(all = TRUE, envir = .GlobalEnv), envir = .GlobalEnv)
>     if (loadNew && file.exists(".RData")) {
>         loaded <- load(".RData", envir = .GlobalEnv)
>         return(invisible(loaded))
>     }
> 
> where the default value for the `dir' argument is to run the tcltk
directory
> chooser and get the directory name chosen.  (Thanks to Prof. John Fox for
> the tcltk part!!)  While this function works fine under Rgui on Windows, it
> doesn't work when running R within ESS (5.2.3) and XEmacs (21.4.13). 
The
> directory chooser never shows up, and dir just gets the empty string.  Does
> anyone have any idea what could be the problem?  I'd very much
appreciate
> any pointers.
> 
> Best,
> Andy
Andy,

This works under FC2 using ESS 5.2.3 with XEmacs version 21.4.15, so
presumably there is something specific to the Windows implementation?

Also, two things:

1. You are missing a closing brace above, which I presume may be a
simple copy and paste issue.

2. If you successfully change the directory, the cd() function itself is
deleted from the global environment via your rm(...), as you currently
have it implemented. I am not sure if this is intentional or not.

HTH,

Marc

Dear Andy,

I've taken the liberty of copying this reply to the r-help and ess-help
lists since my last reply was misleading.

I believe that the problem with tkchooseDirectory() (you can see it by just
calling that function directly) is that it brings up a native Windows
dialog, and it's that kind of tcltk command that I've had trouble with
in
ESS/XEmacs under Windows.

Regards,
 John
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Liaw, Andy [mailto:andy_liaw at merck.com] 
> Sent: Friday, September 24, 2004 3:23 PM
> To: 'John Fox'
> Subject: RE: using tcltk in R under ESS/XEmacs on Windows
> 
> Hi John,
> 
> demo(tkfaq) did work for me.  Maybe that's the exception...
> 
> Thanks!
> Andy
> 
> > From: John Fox
> > 
> > Dear Andy,
> > 
> > Perhaps it's possible, but I've never been able to get 
> tcltk to work 
> > properly under ESS/Xemacs on Windows.
> > 
> > Regards,
> >  John
> > 
> > > -----Original Message-----
> > > From: ess-help-bounces at stat.math.ethz.ch
> > > [mailto:ess-help-bounces at stat.math.ethz.ch] On Behalf Of 
> Liaw, Andy
> > > Sent: Friday, September 24, 2004 3:03 PM
> > > To: r-help at stat.math.ethz.ch; ESS (Help list)
> > > Subject: using tcltk in R under ESS/XEmacs on Windows
> > > 
> > > Sorry for the cross-post.  Not sure where the problem is...
> > > 
> > > A while back I posted an R function to R-help:
> > > 
> > > cd <- function (dir = tclvalue(tkchooseDirectory()),
> > saveOld = FALSE,
> > >     loadNew = TRUE) {
> > >     stopifnot(require(tcltk))
> > >     if (saveOld) 
> > >         save.image(compress = TRUE)
> > >     setwd(dir)
> > >     rm(list = ls(all = TRUE, envir = .GlobalEnv), envir > >
.GlobalEnv)
> > >     if (loadNew && file.exists(".RData")) {
> > >         loaded <- load(".RData", envir = .GlobalEnv)
> > >         return(invisible(loaded))
> > >     }
> > > 
> > > where the default value for the `dir' argument is to run 
> the tcltk 
> > > directory chooser and get the directory name chosen.
> > > (Thanks to Prof. John Fox for the tcltk part!!)  While 
> this function 
> > > works fine under Rgui on Windows, it doesn't work when
running R
> > > within ESS (5.2.3) and XEmacs (21.4.13).  The directory chooser 
> > > never shows up, and dir just gets the empty string.  Does anyone 
> > > have any idea what could be the problem?
> > >  I'd very much appreciate any pointers.
> > > 
> > > Best,
> > > Andy
> > > 
> > > ______________________________________________
> > > ESS-help at stat.math.ethz.ch mailing list 
> > > https://stat.ethz.ch/mailman/listinfo/ess-help
> > 
> > 
> > 
> 
> 
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> From: Marc Schwartz
> 
> On Fri, 2004-09-24 at 15:02, Liaw, Andy wrote:
> > Sorry for the cross-post.  Not sure where the problem is...
> > 
> > A while back I posted an R function to R-help:
> > 
> > cd <- function (dir = tclvalue(tkchooseDirectory()), 
> saveOld = FALSE, 
> >     loadNew = TRUE) {
> >     stopifnot(require(tcltk))
> >     if (saveOld) 
> >         save.image(compress = TRUE)
> >     setwd(dir)
> >     rm(list = ls(all = TRUE, envir = .GlobalEnv), envir = 
> .GlobalEnv)
> >     if (loadNew && file.exists(".RData")) {
> >         loaded <- load(".RData", envir = .GlobalEnv)
> >         return(invisible(loaded))
> >     }
> > 
> > where the default value for the `dir' argument is to run 
> the tcltk directory
> > chooser and get the directory name chosen.  (Thanks to 
> Prof. John Fox for
> > the tcltk part!!)  While this function works fine under 
> Rgui on Windows, it
> > doesn't work when running R within ESS (5.2.3) and XEmacs 
> (21.4.13).  The
> > directory chooser never shows up, and dir just gets the 
> empty string.  Does
> > anyone have any idea what could be the problem?  I'd very 
> much appreciate
> > any pointers.
> > 
> > Best,
> > Andy
> 
> Andy,
> 
> This works under FC2 using ESS 5.2.3 with XEmacs version 21.4.15, so
> presumably there is something specific to the Windows implementation?
Given Prof. Fox's follow-up and your obvservation, I guess the problem _is_
Windows-specific. 8-(
 
> Also, two things:
> 
> 1. You are missing a closing brace above, which I presume may be a
> simple copy and paste issue.
Yes.  My apologies.
> 2. If you successfully change the directory, the cd() 
> function itself is
> deleted from the global environment via your rm(...), as you currently
> have it implemented. I am not sure if this is intentional or not.
Well, sort of.  I've placed it in a small package along with other handy
stuff, so that won't be a problem.

Best,
Andy
 
> HTH,
> 
> Marc
> 
> 
> 
>

Tony:

It is indeed most amazing that you have been able to get ESS/Emacs
running under Windows.  And much appreciated by those of us who have to
moil around 
with MessySoft machines.

Thanks to all who have contributed to the effort.

Cheers,

Shawn Boles




-----Original Message-----
From: A.J. Rossini [mailto:blindglobe at gmail.com] 
Sent: Saturday, September 25, 2004 8:04 PM
To: Liaw, Andy
Cc: R-Help; MSchwartz at MedAnalytics.com; ESS (Help list)
Subject: Re: [R] using tcltk in R under ESS/XEmacs on Windows

It most likely is Windows specific.  It's most amazing that we
actually have ESS/(X)Emacs working under windows in the first place.

Unfortunately, I'm in transit for the next few weeks, but I'll
probably have a windows machine on my desk sometime after that.  Argh.

best,
-tony


On Fri, 24 Sep 2004 17:48:18 -0400, Liaw, Andy <andy_liaw at merck.com>
wrote:
> > From: Marc Schwartz
> >
> > On Fri, 2004-09-24 at 15:02, Liaw, Andy wrote:
> > > Sorry for the cross-post.  Not sure where the problem is...
> > >
> > > A while back I posted an R function to R-help:
> > >
> > > cd <- function (dir = tclvalue(tkchooseDirectory()),
> > saveOld = FALSE,
> > >     loadNew = TRUE) {
> > >     stopifnot(require(tcltk))
> > >     if (saveOld)
> > >         save.image(compress = TRUE)
> > >     setwd(dir)
> > >     rm(list = ls(all = TRUE, envir = .GlobalEnv), envir > >
.GlobalEnv)
> > >     if (loadNew && file.exists(".RData")) {
> > >         loaded <- load(".RData", envir = .GlobalEnv)
> > >         return(invisible(loaded))
> > >     }
> > >
> > > where the default value for the `dir' argument is to run
> > the tcltk directory
> > > chooser and get the directory name chosen.  (Thanks to
> > Prof. John Fox for
> > > the tcltk part!!)  While this function works fine under
> > Rgui on Windows, it
> > > doesn't work when running R within ESS (5.2.3) and XEmacs
> > (21.4.13).  The
> > > directory chooser never shows up, and dir just gets the
> > empty string.  Does
> > > anyone have any idea what could be the problem?  I'd very
> > much appreciate
> > > any pointers.
> > >
> > > Best,
> > > Andy
> >
> > Andy,
> >
> > This works under FC2 using ESS 5.2.3 with XEmacs version 21.4.15, so
> > presumably there is something specific to the Windows
implementation?
> 
> Given Prof. Fox's follow-up and your obvservation, I guess the problem
_is_
> Windows-specific. 8-(
> 
> > Also, two things:
> >
> > 1. You are missing a closing brace above, which I presume may be a
> > simple copy and paste issue.
> 
> Yes.  My apologies.
> 
> > 2. If you successfully change the directory, the cd()
> > function itself is
> > deleted from the global environment via your rm(...), as you
currently
> > have it implemented. I am not sure if this is intentional or not.
> 
> Well, sort of.  I've placed it in a small package along with other
handy
> stuff, so that won't be a problem.
> 
> Best,
> Andy
> 
> 
> 
> > HTH,
> >
> > Marc
> >
> >
> >
> >
> 
> ______________________________________________
> R-help at stat.math.ethz.ch mailing list
> https://stat.ethz.ch/mailman/listinfo/r-help
> PLEASE do read the posting guide!
http://www.R-project.org/posting-guide.html
> 


-- 
A.J. Rossini
blindglobe at gmail.com

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