[Rd] sprintf behavior (PR#9250)

[Peter Dalgaard]

michael.bauer at lo-res.org writes:

> Full_Name: Michael Bauer
> Version: 2.3.1
> OS: Mac OS X 10.4.7
> Submission from: (NULL) (131.130.124.155)
> 
> 
> > sessionInfo()
> Version 2.3.1 (2006-06-01) 
> powerpc-apple-darwin8.6.0 
> 
> attached base packages:
> [1] "methods"   "stats"     "graphics"  "grDevices" "utils"    
> [6] "datasets"  "base"     
> > 
> 
> sprintf("\p") doesn't show the backslash, this occurs with all strings that
> start with certain letters. There is however no explanation to this behavior.
> And there seems to be no way to get a guaranteed backslash in sprintf.

This is *not* a bug (it is also not a FAQ, although I'm beginning to
think it should be). Please read up on R's string handling, with
particular emphasis on the concept of escape characters.

> "\\p\n"
[1] "\\p\n"

> cat("\\p\n")
\p

> nchar("\\p\n")
[1] 3

Also, do not report things as bugs before you are 100% certain that
they are bugs.

-- 
   O__  ---- Peter Dalgaard             Øster Farimagsgade 5, Entr.B
  c/ /'_ --- Dept. of Biostatistics     PO Box 2099, 1014 Cph. K
 (*) \(*) -- University of Copenhagen   Denmark          Ph:  (+45) 35327918
~~~~~~~~~~ - (p.dalgaard at biostat.ku.dk)                  FAX: (+45) 35327907