[Rd] compress defaults for save() and save.image()

[Friedrich.Leisch at tuwien.ac.at]

>>>>> On Thu, 30 Mar 2006 18:23:11 +0100 (BST),
>>>>> Prof Brian Ripley (PBR) wrote:

  > I have changed the default in save() to compress = !ascii.  This seems 
  > quite safe, as almost always save() is called explicitly and people will
  > appreciate that it might take a little time to save large objects (and 
  > depending on your system, compression could even be faster).

Very good idea.

  > Should we also change the default in save.image()?  That is almost always 
  > used implicitly, via q(), a menu ....  There are arguments that it is a 
  > more serious change so should not be done at the end of the release cycle, 
  > and also that large .RData files are something people would want to avoid.

  > BTW, the defaults can be changed via options() (see ?save): has anyone 
  > ever found that useful?

Yes, I and many people I know have

options(save.defaults=list(compress=TRUE))

in our settings, and I'd like to keep the option version such that I
am independent from whatever the function defaults are. 


>>>>> Liaw, Andy wrote:

  > - I always use save(..., compress=TRUE), without exception.
  > - The only time I'd use save.image() is when I need to break a remote
  > connection on short notice.
  > - I have not used options() to set the default simply because I have not
  > figured out how exactly to do it.  From what I remember, the doc simply says
  > it can be done, but does not explicitly say how.

Umm, there is an explicit example in help(save), I have added a pointer from
the main text of the help page.


Best,
Fritz