[R] How to report bugs?

[Peter Dalgaard BSA]

Don MacQueen <macq at llnl.gov> writes:

> It's not unusual for R users (like me!) to think they've found a bug,
> when in fact it's their own error. I would like to ask, however, about
> the situation where a user has studied the situation enough to be very
> confident they've found a bug.
> 
> In that case, what procedure would the R core team like users to follow:
> 
>    1) post to r-help, then wait for a confirmation and request to
> report as a bug
> 
>    2) simultaneously report as bug, and post to r-help
> 
>    3) report as bug (only)
> 
> Perhaps the answer could be added to the R FAQ section on bugs?

If you're confident use #3, else #1, never #2.

If you use #3, then  the report will get mirrored into the r-devel
list and the ensuing discussion (if any) will be filed along with your
report, as long as the PR# is in the header and people retain the Cc:
to r-bugs.

If you use #1, initial responses are not filed. This might be a good
thing if the bug is not a bug, but if it really is a bug someone
(you!) will need to copy the bug analysis from the other mails into
the bug report.

If you use #2 there will be a message on r-help *and* one on r-devel,
both with Cc: to r-bugs, but no PR# on the latter. If people follow up
on r-help and don't remove the Cc: (which they will do, r-help is
where the newbies are...), then this generates *another* report for
each reply. So don't!

-- 
   O__  ---- Peter Dalgaard             Blegdamsvej 3  
  c/ /'_ --- Dept. of Biostatistics     2200 Cph. N   
 (*) \(*) -- University of Copenhagen   Denmark      Ph: (+45) 35327918
~~~~~~~~~~ - (p.dalgaard at biostat.ku.dk)             FAX: (+45) 35327907
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