R help - Dec 2024 - Query concerning working directory for file.choose()

I've been working on a small personal project that needs to select files for
manipulation from
various directories and move them around in planned ways. file.choose() is a
nice way to select
files. However, I've noticed that if file.choose() is called within a
function, it is the
directory from which that calling function has been invoked that is displayed by
file.choose().

This is not altered if I setwd() within that function. Have I misunderstood
something or is this
an infelicity of file.choose(). sessionInfo() gives my system as
R version 4.4.2 (2024-10-31)
Platform: x86_64-pc-linux-gnu
Running under: Linux Mint 22

I've a small example script. It actually helps to create nd1 and nd2 and
give them some dummy
files before testing.

Suggestions welcome.

John Nash


# fcdir.R -- show directory being used by function that calls file choose
cpath<-getwd()
nd1<-paste0(cpath,"/nd1")
nd2<-paste0(cpath,"/nd2")
dir.create(nd1)
dir.create(nd2)

myfc<-function(){
   cat("myfc working in ",getwd(),"\n")
   val<-file.choose()
   val
}
myfcd<-function(adir){
   setwd(adir)
   cat("in myfcd, getwd() =", getwd(),"\n")
   val<-file.choose()
   val
}

print(getwd())
one<-myfc()
cat("one=",one,"\n")
setwd("nd1")
print(getwd())
two<-myfc() # This opens file.choose() in nd1
cat("two=",two,"\n")
setwd("..")
print(getwd())
three<-myfcd("nd2") # But this does not
cat("three=",three,"\n")

Try choose.files

    choose.files(default = file.path(mydir, "*.*"), multi = FALSE)

On Wed, Dec 18, 2024 at 10:33?AM J C Nash <profjcnash at gmail.com>
wrote:
>
> I've been working on a small personal project that needs to select
files for manipulation from
> various directories and move them around in planned ways. file.choose() is
a nice way to select
> files. However, I've noticed that if file.choose() is called within a
function, it is the
> directory from which that calling function has been invoked that is
displayed by file.choose().
>
> This is not altered if I setwd() within that function. Have I misunderstood
something or is this
> an infelicity of file.choose(). sessionInfo() gives my system as
> R version 4.4.2 (2024-10-31)
> Platform: x86_64-pc-linux-gnu
> Running under: Linux Mint 22
>
> I've a small example script. It actually helps to create nd1 and nd2
and give them some dummy
> files before testing.
>
> Suggestions welcome.
>
> John Nash
>
>
> # fcdir.R -- show directory being used by function that calls file choose
> cpath<-getwd()
> nd1<-paste0(cpath,"/nd1")
> nd2<-paste0(cpath,"/nd2")
> dir.create(nd1)
> dir.create(nd2)
>
> myfc<-function(){
>    cat("myfc working in ",getwd(),"\n")
>    val<-file.choose()
>    val
> }
> myfcd<-function(adir){
>    setwd(adir)
>    cat("in myfcd, getwd() =", getwd(),"\n")
>    val<-file.choose()
>    val
> }
>
> print(getwd())
> one<-myfc()
> cat("one=",one,"\n")
> setwd("nd1")
> print(getwd())
> two<-myfc() # This opens file.choose() in nd1
> cat("two=",two,"\n")
> setwd("..")
> print(getwd())
> three<-myfcd("nd2") # But this does not
> cat("three=",three,"\n")
>
> ______________________________________________
> R-help at r-project.org mailing list -- To UNSUBSCRIBE and more, see
> https://stat.ethz.ch/mailman/listinfo/r-help
> PLEASE do read the posting guide
https://www.R-project.org/posting-guide.html
> and provide commented, minimal, self-contained, reproducible code.


-- 
Statistics & Software Consulting
GKX Group, GKX Associates Inc.
tel: 1-877-GKX-GROUP
email: ggrothendieck at gmail.com

I believe file.choose() remembers the last choice, and repeats that 
location the next time you call it. This is true when it is called at 
top level or from within a function.

The first time you call it in a session, it will default to the current 
working directory, but not after that.

Front ends are allowed to replace the underlying function, so that may 
depend on which front end you are using.  I'm talking about R.app on a Mac.

Duncan Murdoch

On 2024-12-18 10:32 a.m., J C Nash wrote:
> I've been working on a small personal project that needs to select
files for manipulation from
> various directories and move them around in planned ways. file.choose() is
a nice way to select
> files. However, I've noticed that if file.choose() is called within a
function, it is the
> directory from which that calling function has been invoked that is
displayed by file.choose().
> 
> This is not altered if I setwd() within that function. Have I misunderstood
something or is this
> an infelicity of file.choose(). sessionInfo() gives my system as
> R version 4.4.2 (2024-10-31)
> Platform: x86_64-pc-linux-gnu
> Running under: Linux Mint 22
> 
> I've a small example script. It actually helps to create nd1 and nd2
and give them some dummy
> files before testing.
> 
> Suggestions welcome.
> 
> John Nash
> 
> 
> # fcdir.R -- show directory being used by function that calls file choose
> cpath<-getwd()
> nd1<-paste0(cpath,"/nd1")
> nd2<-paste0(cpath,"/nd2")
> dir.create(nd1)
> dir.create(nd2)
> 
> myfc<-function(){
>     cat("myfc working in ",getwd(),"\n")
>     val<-file.choose()
>     val
> }
> myfcd<-function(adir){
>     setwd(adir)
>     cat("in myfcd, getwd() =", getwd(),"\n")
>     val<-file.choose()
>     val
> }
> 
> print(getwd())
> one<-myfc()
> cat("one=",one,"\n")
> setwd("nd1")
> print(getwd())
> two<-myfc() # This opens file.choose() in nd1
> cat("two=",two,"\n")
> setwd("..")
> print(getwd())
> three<-myfcd("nd2") # But this does not
> cat("three=",three,"\n")
> 
> ______________________________________________
> R-help at r-project.org mailing list -- To UNSUBSCRIBE and more, see
> https://stat.ethz.ch/mailman/listinfo/r-help
> PLEASE do read the posting guide
https://www.R-project.org/posting-guide.html
> and provide commented, minimal, self-contained, reproducible code.