Programming objects in R

This is interesting.  The fact that there are so few texts on the
subject probably means that very few are using OO programming methods
in R.

I will probably look in the Python direction.  Pity.  I would have
preferred R.

Tom

krzysztof.sakrejda at gmail.com wrote:

I have been using Chambers for the same purpose but I think he
focuses too much on discussion and too little on technique.  The book
is frustrating to use and I often have to dig to find simple usage
cases. .  Unfortunately there seems to be no other book which
contains the same info.  I've been hoping O'Reilly puts out an R
programming book but nothing yet.

Best,

Krzysztof


Sent via BlackBerry by AT&T

-----Original Message-----
From: Tom Backer Johnsen <backer at psych.uib.no>

Date: Tue, 31 Mar 2009 12:31:17 To: <r-help at r-project.org>
Subject: [R] Programming objects in R


I am planning a project where an object-oriented approach would be
appropriate, and for a number of reasons I would prefer using either
Python or R.  My problem at the moment is to find out how to do OO
programming in R.  Are there any introductory texts anywhere ?

Tom

This is interesting.  The fact that there are so few texts on the
subject probably means that very few are using OO programming methods
in R.

I will probably look in the Python direction.  Pity.  I would have
preferred R.

Tom

krzysztof.sakrejda at gmail.com wrote:

I have been using Chambers for the same purpose but I think he
focuses too much on discussion and too little on technique.  The
book is frustrating to use and I often have to dig to find simple
usage cases. .  Unfortunately there seems to be no other book which
contains the same info.  I've been hoping O'Reilly puts out an R
programming book but nothing yet.

Best,
Krzysztof
Sent via BlackBerry by AT&T
-----Original Message-----
From: Tom Backer Johnsen <backer at psych.uib.no>
Date: Tue, 31 Mar 2009 12:31:17 To: <r-help at r-project.org>
Subject: [R] Programming objects in R
I am planning a project where an object-oriented approach would be
appropriate, and for a number of reasons I would prefer using either
Python or R.  My problem at the moment is to find out how to do OO
programming in R.  Are there any introductory texts anywhere ?
Tom

Tom Backer Johnsen wrote:

This is interesting.  The fact that there are so few texts on the
subject probably means that very few are using OO programming methods
in R.

I will probably look in the Python direction.  Pity.  I would have
preferred R.

if you insist on oo, python might be a better choice.  r has two
built-in oo systems plus a few additional ones in various packages. 

of the two basic ones, s3 is simple to use though some features may
confuse you;  in his The R Inferno [1], Pat Burns calls this system 'a
bit ad hoc'.

the other, s4, is much more complex, probably too complex for its own
developers.  additionally, s3 and s4 intefere with each other in ugly
ways, as some recent posts show.  here's one opinion:

    library(fortunes)
    fortune('handcuff')

if you really have to stay with r, R.oo, for example, might be an
alternative.

you can always access r from within python when statistic computations
are needed, while staying in the cosy realm of a much more coherent
programming language.

vQ

[1] http://www.burns-stat.com/pages/Tutor/R_inferno.pdf

Tom

krzysztof.sakrejda at gmail.com wrote:

I have been using Chambers for the same purpose but I think he
focuses too much on discussion and too little on technique.  The book
is frustrating to use and I often have to dig to find simple usage
cases. .  Unfortunately there seems to be no other book which
contains the same info.  I've been hoping O'Reilly puts out an R
programming book but nothing yet.

Best,

Krzysztof


Sent via BlackBerry by AT&T

-----Original Message-----
From: Tom Backer Johnsen <backer at psych.uib.no>

Date: Tue, 31 Mar 2009 12:31:17 To: <r-help at r-project.org>
Subject: [R] Programming objects in R


I am planning a project where an object-oriented approach would be
appropriate, and for a number of reasons I would prefer using either
Python or R.  My problem at the moment is to find out how to do OO
programming in R.  Are there any introductory texts anywhere ?

Tom

This is interesting.  The fact that there are so few texts on the 
subject probably means that very few are using OO programming methods in R.

Tom Backer Johnsen wrote:

This is interesting.  The fact that there are so few texts on the 
subject probably means that very few are using OO programming methods 
in R.

That's overstating the problem.  I frequently run into OO R packages and 
many of them are very nicely done.  Some good examples you could follow 
are the packages: 'simecol','lme4', and 'pomp'.

The main issue I see is that R's OO model is different than C++/PHP/Java 
(the ones I'm familiar with).  Due to that difference a resource tightly 
focused on programming technique would be very valuable---it would make 
the process of getting into writing 'correct' OO packages simpler.

Best,

Krzysztof

-----------------------------------------------
Krzysztof Sakrejda-Leavitt

Organismic and Evolutionary Biology
University of Massachusetts, Amherst
319 Morrill Science Center South
611 N. Pleasant Street
Amherst, MA 01003

work #: 413-325-6555
email: sakrejda at nsm.umass.edu