call by reference

a = 9
    b = 8
    print (a)
    print (b)
    fa<-function(bS, aV) {
            aV <<- 3
            assign(bS,3,env = .GlobalEnv)
    }
    fa("b", a)
    print (a) #9
    print (b) #3 #only this call is ok



----- Original Message ----
From: Prof Brian Ripley <ripley at stats.ox.ac.uk>
To: biter bilen <biterbilen at yahoo.com>
Cc: r-help at stat.math.ethz.ch
Sent: Wednesday, December 20, 2006 11:04:08 AM
Subject: Re: [R] call by reference

Can you tell us what you want to do with 'pass/call by reference'?

If you want an R function to alter its argument then it is possible 
(KalmanLike is an example), but it should only be possible via C code.
And if you know enough to do that, you probably would not be asking (and 
definitely not be asking on R-help rather than R-devel).

Can anyone help me about pass by reference of arguments in R functions?

I have read about .Alias in base package however it is defunct and there 
is no replacement for it.

That's not a fair summary of the help entry for .Alias.

Brian D. Ripley,                  ripley at stats.ox.ac.uk
Professor of Applied Statistics,  http://www.stats.ox.ac.uk/~ripley/
University of Oxford,             Tel:  +44 1865 272861 (self)
1 South Parks Road,                     +44 1865 272866 (PA)
Oxford OX1 3TG, UK                Fax:  +44 1865 272595