R-alpha: compatability functions

[Paul Gilbert]

With some input from Martin Maechler and Martyn Plummer I think I now have a
fairly good set of functions for handling R/S and OS differences, however, I
still have two areas where I would appreciate input. These are largely S
problems, not R problems, but I am doing this so I can write code to work on
both.

1/ In Windows I have been trying to identify NT, 95, or 3.1, but Martyn (who
claims to have little experience but has lots more than I do) suggested that
Win16 vs Win32 might be a more important distinction.  Does anyone know about
this? The eventual purpose is to do things like opening a graphics window,
copying a file, deleting a file, getting date info on a file, starting another
process, getting host name info, or sending mail (from an R/S program).  I can
use machine() to define is.Win32 and is.Win16 in R, but does anyone know how to
do this in Splus?

2/ In S it is fairly easy to get information to define functions like
is.Linux(), is.Sun5(), but most of the time I just want to be able to use
is.unix().  I have two approaches, neither of which I like. One is to default to
unix if I don't identify Windows, and the other is to identify all the different
types of unix and then "or" them. Can anyone suggest a better way to define
is.unix() in S.

Paul Gilbert

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