[R] recommendations on use of -> operator

[Duncan Murdoch]

On 18/03/2010 7:08 AM, Dan Kelley wrote:
> I have never used   ->  but I noticed at 
> 
> 	http://github.com/jiho/r-utils/blob/master/beamer_colors.R
> 
> that some people do.  In fact, the above-named code has a sort of elegance about it (except for the use of "=" for assignment...).  To my eye,  ->   calls to mind a type of assignment that is meant to stand out.  For example, perhaps it would make sense to use  ->  to assign to things that are not expected to vary through the rest of the code block.
> 
> Q1: is there a convention, informal or otherwise, on when to use the   ->   operator?

My recommendation would be "never".  It's rarely used and unnecessary, 
so you'll just confuse people.  It also looks identical to the -> 
operator in C for pointing to a member of a structure, another cause for 
confusion for some people.

Duncan Murdoch

> 
> Q2: if there is no convention, but if people think a convention might help, what would that convention be?
> 
> Dan Kelley, PhD
> Professor and Graduate Coordinator
> Dept. Oceanography, Dalhousie University, Halifax NS B3H 4J1
> kelley.dan at gmail.com (1-minute path on US server) or Dan.Kelley at Dal.Ca (2-hour path on Cdn server)
> Phone 902 494 1694;  Fax  902 494 3877
> 
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