[R] R package: Where to put code to Run Once Only?

[Ken-JP]

Rolf,

In general, I agree with you, but I am coding for a special case.

1. I am the only user and probably will be for the foreseeable future.
2. I like to have different tiers of visibility.

At the public/highest level, I only want to see the functionality that I use
often - my memory can only hold so much information.

That means "hiding" non-everyday-essentials with a "." and not exporting it.  

If, in the future, there happens to be more than one user, I intend to
open-source the code anyways - which means the developer/user can still
tinker with the variable anyway he/she chooses.  It would become less
accessible if the source were not accessible (which is not my intention).  

I just prefer not to leave this code at the surface, cluttering the more
visible/often-used code, and it looks like Martin has posted some useful
snippets on how to access non-exported code.  Thx!

- Ken


Rolf Turner-3 wrote:
> 
> 
> On 7/04/2009, at 3:34 PM, Ken-JP wrote:
> 
> 	<snip>
> 
>> Using NAMESPACE, I was able to hide my globals behind a  
>> "." (eg .myGlobal
>> <<- 72) and use exportPattern("^[^\\.]*") to prevent users from  
>> seeing my
>> globals, yet I was able to access their values inside my package.
> 
> 	<snip>
> 
> 	WHY do you want to ``prevent users from seeing [your] globals''?
> 
> 	The whole point of R (well, maybe not the whole point, but a major
> 	point) is to be adaptable.  If something doesn't work the way a user
> 	wants, then the user can change things.  When the inner workings
> 	are hidden so deeply that the user can't see what to change, this
> 	becomes effectively impossible, and the user might as well go and
> 	use SAS.
> 
> 	I exaggerate but slightly.
> 
> 	Nevertheless, this syndrome of hiding things and making them  
> effectively
> 	inaccessible --- which seems to have become an obsession with some  
> of the
> 	R community, particularly many of the senior members --- bugs the  
> living
> 	Drambuie out of me.
> 
> 		cheers,
> 
> 			Rolf Turner
> 
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