R help - Jun 2011 - Question about example function

Dear Sirs,

I am exploring the R package and its documentation.  I find there is the
function example which runs examples from documentation pages.  What
confuses me is that running example interferes with the variables I have in
my workspace.
> x <- 0
> example(mean)
> x
Now x is a vector of some values coming from the example.

Am I using example in the wrong way?  In situation like above running
example apparently corrupts existing data, pollutes the workspace with
variables I didn't create myself, and also leaves allocated data that
consume memory.  Is there a way to run example to avoid this?  I tried the
following:
> x <- 0
> local(example(mean))
> x
Still x is corrupted with example data.

Thank you for support.
Abhilash B.

	[[alternative HTML version deleted]]

Hi Abhilash,
>From ?example, under "arguments":
local: logical: if ?TRUE? evaluate locally, if ?FALSE? evaluate in
the workspace.

So all you need to do is:
> x <- 0
> example(mean, local=TRUE)
mean> x <- c(0:10, 50)

mean> xm <- mean(x)

mean> c(xm, mean(x, trim = 0.10))
[1] 8.75 5.50

mean> mean(USArrests, trim = 0.2)
  Murder  Assault UrbanPop     Rape
    7.42   167.60    66.20    20.16
> x
[1] 0

and nothing in your workspace is changed.

Best,
Ethan

On Sun, Jun 5, 2011 at 11:13 AM, Abhilash Balakrishnan
<balaabhil at gmail.com> wrote:
> Dear Sirs,
>
> I am exploring the R package and its documentation. ?I find there is the
> function example which runs examples from documentation pages. ?What
> confuses me is that running example interferes with the variables I have in
> my workspace.
>
>> x <- 0
>> example(mean)
>> x
> Now x is a vector of some values coming from the example.
>
> Am I using example in the wrong way? ?In situation like above running
> example apparently corrupts existing data, pollutes the workspace with
> variables I didn't create myself, and also leaves allocated data that
> consume memory. ?Is there a way to run example to avoid this? ?I tried the
> following:
>
>> x <- 0
>> local(example(mean))
>> x
> Still x is corrupted with example data.
>
> Thank you for support.
> Abhilash B.
>
> ? ? ? ?[[alternative HTML version deleted]]
>
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