[R] scoping rules

[joerg van den hoff]

is there a good way to get the following fragment to work when calling 
it as "wrapper(1)" ?

#======== cut here==========
wrapper <- function (choose=0)
{
   x <- seq(0,2*pi,len=100)
   y <- sin(1.5*x);
   y <- rnorm(y,y,.1*max(y))

   if (choose==0) {
      rm(fifu,pos=1)
      fifu <- function(w,x) {sin(w*x)}
   }
   else
      assign('fifu',function(w,x) {sin(w*x)},.GlobalEnv)

   res <- nls(y ~ fifu(w,x),start=list(w=1))
   res
}
#======== cut here==========

I understand, the problem is that  the scoping rules are such that "nls" 
does not resolve 'fifu' in the parent environment, but rather in the 
GlobalEnv. (this is different for the data, which *are* taken from the 
parent environment of the nls-call).

The solution to "assign" 'fifu' directly into the GlobalEnv (which 
happens when calling 'wrapper(1)") does obviously work but leads to the 
undesirable effect of accumulating objects in the workspace which are 
not needed there (and might overwrite existing ones).

so: is there a way to enforce that "nls" takes the model definition from 
the parent environment together with the data?

joerg