(PR#3400)

Martin Maechler asked me to restate my problem.

Compiling the file (slightly modified w.r.t. the formerly
attached file) that can be found at
     http://www.geo.uni-bayreuth.de/~martin/filetransfer/xswms2d.Rd
terminates with the error message

******* Syntax error: mismatched or missing brackets in
/-----
  .....
\-----

when compiled by
    R CMD Rdconv -t txt xswms2d.Rd

However, the file does not cause any error after deleting the
line
      \item{a}{4}
(line 530), for example. This line is within the simple
environment
     \itemize{
       \item{a}{1} % if this line or
       \item{a}{2} % this line or
       \item{a}{3} % this line or
       \item{a}{4} % this line is deleted no error occurs
     }

Although there might be an error in my Rd code, the
appearance (or not appearance) of the error message is
surprising, and the reason for the error is not clear
from the message.
        _
platform i686-pc-linux-gnu
arch     i686
os       linux-gnu
system   i686, linux-gnu
status
major    1
minor    7.0
year     2003
month    04
day      16
language R


Cheers,
Martin


Martin Maechler wrote:

"Martin" == Martin Schlather <Martin.Schlather@uni-bayreuth.de>
   on Fri, 4 Jul 2003 15:59:21 +0200 (MET DST) writes:

    Martin> I have attached a larger Rd file that causes an error when

Unfortunately, attachments are always "mangled" when going
through R-bugs;  we strongly recommend to put that file on the
Net, and only send an URL to it.

    Martin> compiled by
    Martin> R CMD Rdconv -t txt xswms2d.Rd

    Martin> (for example). If the size is reduced the error vanishes,
    Martin> see the lines 230 and 527 in the file.

    Martin> I could not find an error within my text
I know how smart you are, but still, just because you didn't
find it, does not really prove ....  ;-)
see below

    Martin>  and so my guess is that there is some buffer
    Martin> overflow within the compiler.

I don't think so.  When I use cut and paste to recreate your
file,
and do (in a {t}csh; (ba|k)?sh needs another syntax)

     R CMD Rdconv --debug -t txt xswms2d.Rd >& xswms2d.txt

The resulting file becomes
----------------------------------------------------------
-- read file 'xswms2d.Rd';

-- mark_brackets:........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................!

..............................

******* Syntax error: mismatched or missing brackets in
/-----

\name{xswms2d}
\alias{xswms2d}
\title{Modelling of water flux and solute transport}

<..........>
<..........>

--------------------------------------------------------------

and is even a bit larger than the original.
I can hardly believe that
  ``Syntax error: mismatched or missing brackets in ...''
is caused by a (perl) buffer overflow.

Best regards to Bayreuth, in any case
 
Martin Maechler <maechler@stat.math.ethz.ch>	http://stat.ethz.ch/~maechler/
Seminar fuer Statistik, ETH-Zentrum  LEO C16	Leonhardstr. 27
ETH (Federal Inst. Technology)	8092 Zurich	SWITZERLAND
phone: x-41-1-632-3408		fax: ...-1228			<><