[Rd] Proposal: 'global' package refactoring

[Prof Brian Ripley]

I am explicitly not prepared to `refactor' MASS.  Not only is it
explicitly support software for a book (which references it and those
references cannot be changed retrospectively), it also represents much
work over many years.  Not that we get much credit for it, but we do get
some and these days that does matter.

Parts of MASS have been incorporated into both R and S-PLUS -- perhaps we 
have already gone too far.  Indeed, I have floated the idea of migrating 
some functionality back, notably that of package lqs (which is part of 
MASS in the S version).

On Mon, 24 Nov 2003, Warnes, Gregory R wrote:

> 
> Looking over the contents of various packages, including my own, it is clear
> that lots of things end up 'hidden away' in packages where they don't
> belong.  My gregmisc package is a particularly egregious example, containing
> something from almost every functional category.  
> 
> I propose that from time to time the R community go through the complete set
> of packages and 'refactor' the functions and data sets into packages that
> have clearly defined goals.   This should make it easier to ensure that new
> functions get placed into a location where users can easily find them,
> reduce the amount of re-implementation/duplication existing functionality,
> and assist in ensuring interoperability.
> 
> It would be worthwhile, for instance, to pull all of the functions related
> to contrasts for generalized linear models into a common location, instead
> of having them spread between base, Hmisc, MASS, gregmisc, etc.   Similarly,
> it would be helpful to pull together all of the genetics-computations into a
> single location.
> 
> I recognize that not all package maintainers would be willing to participate
> and that not all functions could be easily categorized, but I believe that
> this effort would yield significant benefit and is compatible with the goal
> of R-core to streamline the base packages. 
> 
> To put my money where my mouth is, I'll volunteer to organize a group effort
> to do such a refactoring in conjunction with the userR! 2004 or the next
> DSC, whichever folks agree is better for this purpose.
> 
> 
> Gregory R. Warnes, Ph.D.
> Senior Coordinator
> Groton Non-Clinical Statistics
> Pfizer Global Research and Development
>  <<Warnes, Gregory R.vcf>> 
> 
> 
> LEGAL NOTICE\ Unless expressly stated otherwise, this messag...{{dropped}}
> 
> 

-- 
Brian D. Ripley,                  ripley at stats.ox.ac.uk
Professor of Applied Statistics,  http://www.stats.ox.ac.uk/~ripley/
University of Oxford,             Tel:  +44 1865 272861 (self)
1 South Parks Road,                     +44 1865 272866 (PA)
Oxford OX1 3TG, UK                Fax:  +44 1865 272595