R CMD check: non source files in src on (2.3.0 RC (2006-04-19 r37860))

Hi,

Well, I guess if someone thinks they know how I am going to configure and 
build the sources needed to construct appropriate dynamic libraries so well 
that they can feel free to exclude files at their whim at install time, 
perhaps they could feel just as free to exclude them at build time?

This makes no sense to me and certainly does not solve the size problem 
mentioned by Brian. If there is a single example of something that was better 
this way, I would be interested to hear it. I can think of several things 
that are worse.

best wishes
 Robert


Roger Bivand wrote:

On Thu, 20 Apr 2006, Robert Gentleman wrote:

I disagree, things like README files and other objects are important and 
should be included. I don't see the real advantage to such warnings, if 
someone wants them they could be turned on optionally.

Isn't the point at least partly that all those files are lost on 
installation? If the README is to be accessible after installation, it can 
be placed under inst/, so that both users reading the source and installed 
versions can access it. So maybe the warning could be re-phrased to suggest 
use of the inst/ tree for files with important content?

Best wishes,

Roger

If size is an issue then authors should be warned that their package is 
large (in the top 1% at CRAN would be useful to some). I also find it 
helpful to know whose packages take forever to build, which we don't do.

Just because someone put something in TFM doesn't mean it is either a good 
idea or sensible, in my experience.

best wishes
  Robert


Prof Brian Ripley wrote:

On Wed, 19 Apr 2006, James Bullard wrote:

Hello, I am having an issue with R CMD check with the nightly build of
RC 2.3.0 (listed in the subject.)

This is all explained in TFM, `Writing R Extensions'.

The problem is this warning:

* checking if this is a source package ... WARNING
Subdirectory 'src' contains:
README _Makefile
These are unlikely file names for src files.

In fact, they are not source files, but I do not see any reason why they
cannot be there, or why I need to be warned of their presence.
Potentially I could be informed of their presence, but that is another
matter.

Having unnecessary files in other people's packages just waste space and 
download bandwidth for each one of the users.

Now, I only get this warning when I do:

R CMD build affxparser
R CMD check -l ~/R-packages/ affxparser_1.3.3.tar.gz

If I do:

R CMD check -l ~/R-packages affxparser

I do not get the warning. Is this inconsistent, or is there rationale
behind this? I think the warning is inappropriate, or at the least a
little restrictive. It seems as if I should be able to put whatever I
want in there, especially the _Makefile as I like to build test programs
directly and I want to be able to build exactly what I check out from
my source code repository without having to copy files in and out.

All described in TFM, including how to set defaults for what is checked.

The output from R CMD check is below. Any insight would be appreciated.
As always thanks for your patience.

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