Imports problem

Therneau, Terry M , Ph D <therneau at mayo.edu>
    on Sun, 15 Feb 2015 17:31:00 -0600 writes:

    > I'm testing out a new version of coxme and R CMD check fails with "could not find function 
    > ranef" (or random.effects or fixef, or anything from nlme).  The NAMESPACE file has the 
    > line below

    > importFrom(nlme, ranef, random.effects, fixef, fixed.effects, VarCorr)

    > and nlme is declared in the DESCRIPTION file as an import.  I feel that I must be staring 
    > at some obvious (but invisible to me) mistake. 

are you using them in (help page) examples, demos, or vignettes
?

In that case, as you no longer 'Depend' on lme4, you need a 
 require(lme4)
before the corresponding code.

    >  Users are very likely to use "ranef" as well.

Well, and you are sure that you do not want them to see the help
file for ranef() ?

If a user of coxme() should typically use ranef() in her own code,
you should rather *depend* on lme4 than only *import* it.

    > Second question.  The files now declare bdsmatrix as an import rather than a depends.  If 
    > one of my test files has an explicit call to a bdsmatrix function, I assume that I will 
    > need to put an explicit "require" there.

Sure.  See above

    > Third: How should "methods" be listed?  I'm getting a message from CMD check if I leave it 
    > in or leave it out.

this is not precise enough for me to help, rather we need exact details.

    > An update to the survival package is forcing an update to one of the tests in coxme (the 
    > "rats" data set in survival now has both male and female, prompted by a user, but the test 
    > assumed the old version with only female).  An update of the include vs update material 
    > seemed in order as well.

??? {"nix verstahn"  we'd say here}

    > Terry Therneau

Martin Maechler