R help - Jun 2014 - non-interactive error in .First function

Hi all -

Long-time user, first-time poster.

I added a .First function to my Rprofile.site file to check for updates, clean
the console, and put some fun quotes on startup.  This used to work without
error.  I hadn't used R (which I usually play with in RStudio) in a few
weeks, but when I started up recently and updated (R 3.1.0+ RStudio v
0.98.945),I got a couple error messages.  For context, here is my .First
function:

.First <- function(){
    suppressPackageStartupMessages(library(installr))
    library(installr)
    library(stats)
    old.packages = installed.packages()[,1]
    save(old.packages,
file="C:/Users/Owner/Documents/R/installedPackages.Rdata")
    # load("C:/Users/Owner/Documents/R/installedPackages.Rdata")
    # pull.packages = installed.packages()[,1]
    # for (i in setdiff(old.packages, pull.packages))
    # install.packages(i)
    updateR()
    cat("\014")
    if (runif(1,0,1)>0.5) {
      cat("Stately, plump Buck Mulligan...")
    } else cat("as though\nyou were creating\na mathematical
sandwich")
  }


I was getting an error message about installr, but I added the suppress...
function as suggested in that error message, which worked like a gem.  However,
I can't quite figure out how to address the other error message.  Here it
is:

Error installing package: Error in winDialog(type = "ok", message =
message_text) :  winDialog() cannot be used non-interactively
Calls: .First -> updateR -> check.for.updates.R -> winDialog
Execution halted
I'm not sure what's going on here, but I'm guessing R runs .First
functions in non-interactive mode.  I ham-handedly tried adding an >
interactive=T line to the .First function, but this didn't work.

Any suggestions would be much appreciated.

=)  Brian
 
Brian Alexander Chalfant
Research Assistant & PhD student
University of Pittsburgh
www.pitt.edu/~bac84
bac84@pitt.edu
724.984.7758
	[[alternative HTML version deleted]]

Suggestions:
a) Don't post in HTML format... your code appears corrupt.
b) Don't do this. Read the Note in ?.First

On Tue, 24 Jun 2014, Brian Chalfant wrote:
> Hi all -
>
> Long-time user, first-time poster.
>
> I added a .First function to my Rprofile.site file to check for updates,
clean the console, and put some fun quotes on startup.? This used to work
without error.? I hadn't used R (which I usually play with in RStudio) in a
few weeks, but when I started up recently and updated (R 3.1.0+ RStudio v
0.98.945),I got a couple error messages.? For context, here is my .First
function:
>
> .First <- function(){
> ??? suppressPackageStartupMessages(library(installr))
> ??? library(installr)
> ??? library(stats)
> ??? old.packages = installed.packages()[,1]
> ??? save(old.packages,
file="C:/Users/Owner/Documents/R/installedPackages.Rdata")
> ??? # load("C:/Users/Owner/Documents/R/installedPackages.Rdata")
> ??? # pull.packages = installed.packages()[,1]
> ??? # for (i in setdiff(old.packages, pull.packages))
> ??? # install.packages(i)
> ??? updateR()
> ??? cat("\014")
> ??? if (runif(1,0,1)>0.5) {
> ????? cat("Stately, plump Buck Mulligan...")
> ??? } else cat("as though\nyou were creating\na mathematical
sandwich")
> ? }
>
>
> I was getting an error message about installr, but I added the suppress...
function as suggested in that error message, which worked like a gem.? However,
I can't quite figure out how to address the other error message.? Here it
is:
>
> Error installing package: Error in winDialog(type = "ok", message
= message_text) :  winDialog() cannot be used non-interactively
> Calls: .First -> updateR -> check.for.updates.R -> winDialog
> Execution halted
> I'm not sure what's going on here, but I'm guessing R runs
.First functions in non-interactive mode.? I ham-handedly tried adding an >
interactive=T line to the .First function, but this didn't work.
>
> Any suggestions would be much appreciated.
>
> =)? Brian
> ?
> Brian Alexander Chalfant
> Research Assistant & PhD student
> University of Pittsburgh
> www.pitt.edu/~bac84
> bac84 at pitt.edu
> 724.984.7758
> 	[[alternative HTML version deleted]]
>
>
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
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Go...
                                       Live:   OO#.. Dead: OO#..  Playing
Research Engineer (Solar/Batteries            O.O#.       #.O#.  with
/Software/Embedded Controllers)               .OO#.       .OO#.  rocks...1k

Howdy -

I'm wondering if there is a way to force an R dialog window to "the
front" in a Windows OS.? In particular, I defined a .Last function in my
Rprofile.site file that consists only of the updateR() function so as to check
for R updates on close.? However, the dialog window for this pops up behind the
RStudio window, which I don't like.

Any advice would be much appreciated.

Thanks -
Brian


Brian Alexander Chalfant
Research Assistant & PhD student
University of Pittsburgh
www.pitt.edu/~bac84
bac84 at pitt.edu
724.984.7758