Accessing data files w/ --use-zip-data

...
The issue that Duncan suggested I raise is whether or not it should be
considered accepted behaviour for a package author to be accessing files
in <pkg>\data (at this time I don't know the reasoning behind the specific
example here, I just know that that's what they've done) or if this should
be considered a Bad Thing.

I do this in some instances where I have data in a format not supported 
by data(), for example,  database files that are used by package 
programs or tests (but I have always wondered if it is "the right" thing 
to do).  If it is considered a Bad Thing then there needs to be another 
location for files like this, perhaps inst/data or something like that.

Paul Gilbert