Basic question about: <<- and method start with dot.
What is the special meaning for the method name start with a dot?
It means nothing in particular, except that such objects don't show up in ls() by default. The _intention_ is usually that the function is only to be used internally and not for end-user use.
But these days, if you're writing a package, you're better off using namespaces. Hadley
RStudio / Rice University http://had.co.nz/