[R] Validation of R

[Shawn Way]

I suspect that there is no easy answer to this.

The first step will be to write a user specification for what you want to
use the software for.  In most cases, I believe that you will want to use
specific functions and scripts.  Define those functions and scripts up front
in the user specification.

Next will be to create those scripts you wish to use and documenting the
creation (I'm thinking of a library here)

Once this is created, you would need to create a standard dataset(s), the
more the better, for the testing of the functions defined in the user
requirement specification. This is for comparison with a known result and
used if the software is upgraded in the future.  I would propose to do the
analysis (on the standard data set) the first time with a known package such
as SAS, and compare that with R.  Once the data is been documented to match,
this becomes your standard setup.  I would then use a program such as gnu's
diff for any changes in printouts from the two applications.

Graphics are harder, but I believe that Paul Murrell and Kurt Hornik are
working on this by the paper: Quality Assurance for Graphics in R,  from the
DSC 2003 Working Papers.

Hope this helps.

-----Original Message-----
From: Rob Lambkin [mailto:r.lambkin at retroscreen.com] 
Sent: Thursday, April 17, 2003 3:51 AM
To: r-help at stat.math.ethz.ch
Cc: Shobana Balasingam; Seb Bossuyt; Katie Benjamin; Alex Mann
Subject: [R] Validation of R


Hi All

I am really very interested in starting to use R within our company. I
particularly like the open source nature of the product. My company is a
medical research company which is part of the University of London.

We conduct contract virology research for large pharma companies. My
question is how do we validate this software? I wonder if anyone else has
had the problem and might be able to comment.

Thanks

Rob


Robert Lambkin BSc (Hon's), MRPharmS, PhD
Director and General Manager
Retroscreen Limited 
Retroscreen Virology Limited
The Medical Building, Queen Mary, University of London,   327 Mile End
Road, London, E1 4NS
Tel: 020 7882 7624  Fax: 020 7882 6990
(Retroscreen Virology Ltd. Registered in England & Wales No:2326557) 
 
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