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pdf package help files

9 messages · eric, David Winsemius, Joel Schwartz +3 more

eric
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Newbie here...just learning

Do most packages come with pdf versions of the help files ? If yes, how to I
access the entire pdf file to be able to print it ? Is there a standard
command for that ?
David Winsemius
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On Dec 18, 2010, at 2:20 PM, eric wrote:

            

      
      
      
    

        
There may be one but I don't know it if there is. The pdf files to  
which you refer are usually in the doc directory for each package (and  
can be found at CRAN as well). For example on my standard nstallation  
of R2.12 the pdf describing the gsubfn package is found it in:
/Library/Frameworks/R.framework/Versions/2.12/Resources/library/gsubfn/ 
doc/gsubfn.pdf

Each OS is different but once you find the root of R's installation  
there should be "library" and package sub-directories with "doc" sub- 
sub-directories. Not all packages have such a directory. The first one  
I looked in was lattice and I could not find one.

            

      
      
      
    

        

      
      
    

        
David Winsemius, MD
West Hartford, CT

  
  


  


      

    

    

      
      

        


  

        

      Spencer Graves
    

    

      
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The best way to get a pdf version of any CRAN package is to your 
favorite CRAN mirror, click "Packages", then find the package of 
interest.  "Reference manual" is a pdf version of the package 
documentation.  This also includes other information such as Vignettes, 
which can be extremely valuable for getting an introduction to the package.


       The standard "R CMD check" process for compiling a package 
produces a pdf version of the manual.  However, this is not normally 
retained with the installed package.


       Hope this helps.
       Spencer

        
On 12/18/2010 12:44 PM, David Winsemius wrote:

            

      
      
      
    

        

      
      
    

            

      
      
      
    

  
  


  


      

    

    

      
      

        


  

        

      Duncan Murdoch
    

    

      
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On 18/12/2010 2:20 PM, eric wrote:

            

      
      
      
    

        
No, the pdf version is not normally installed.  If you want to see the 
same content on a locally installed package, run

help_start()

then browse to the package.  The pdf files are just concatenated 
versions of all the help pages shown in that index.

You can produce the pdf using

R CMD Rd2dvi --pdf foo

where foo is a directory holding the source code to the package. 
Alternatively, as others have suggested, just look at the PDF on CRAN.

Duncan Murdoch

  
  


  


      

    

    

      
      

        


  

        

      Spencer Graves
    

    

      
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Hi, Duncan:


       I'm confused:


help_start()
Error: could not find function "help_start"


       Thanks,
       Spencer
sessionInfo()
R version 2.12.0 (2010-10-15)
Platform: i386-pc-mingw32/i386 (32-bit)

locale:
[1] LC_COLLATE=English_United States.1252
[2] LC_CTYPE=English_United States.1252
[3] LC_MONETARY=English_United States.1252
[4] LC_NUMERIC=C
[5] LC_TIME=English_United States.1252

attached base packages:
[1] stats     graphics  grDevices utils     datasets  methods   base
 >

        
On 12/18/2010 1:19 PM, Duncan Murdoch wrote:

            

      
      
      
    

        

      
      
    

  
  


  


      

    

    

      
      

        


  

        

      Joel Schwartz
    

    

      
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I think that should have been

help.start() 


Joel

            

      
      
      
    

        

      
      
    

            

      
      
      
    

        

      
      
    

  
  


  


      

    

    

      
      

        
      

    

    

      
      

        


  

        

      Spencer Graves
    

    

      
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Hi, Joel:


       Thanks.  That doubtless was what Duncan meant.  "help.start()" -> 
Reference:  Packages provides access to HTML versions of all the help 
pages from all the packages.


       However, it does NOT provide access to the PDF version of the 
help pages for a package.  For that, you need to go to CRAN or run "R 
CMD Rd2dvi --pdf foo", as Duncan suggested.  And for the latter to work, 
you need to source for the package, which you can get from CRAN for CRAN 
packages.


       Best Wishes,
       Spencer

        
On 12/18/2010 2:46 PM, Joel Schwartz wrote:

            

      
      
      
    

        

      
      
    

            

      
      
      
    

  
  


  


      

    

    

      
      

        


  

        

      Duncan Murdoch
    

    

      
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On 18/12/2010 5:46 PM, Joel Schwartz wrote:

            

      
      
      
    

        
Yes, thanks.  What I need is a Thunderbird plug-in that understands R code.

Duncan Murdoch