[R-pkg-devel] Using non-exported functions from another package with :::

Hi all,

I'm working on a very small package where I redesign the inputs of Shiny to
have the label inline instead of above the actual widget. To avoid having
to rewrite quite big parts of Shiny, I need access to a number of internal
functions. I do this using :::, but R CMD check obviously gives a note,
indicating that this is "a bad idea".

I understand why this is in most cases a bad idea, but I see no other
option apart from literally copying these functions (and the ones they
depend on) all into my package.

Hence my questions:

- is it acceptable to get a package using ::: on CRAN? When I run R CMD
check --as-cran it only gives a note, but just to be sure...

- anybody a better option to be able to use eg shiny:::selectizeIt,
shiny:::selectOptions etc?

Thank you in advance
Joris

On 05/07/2017 3:19 PM, Joris Meys wrote:

Hi all,

I'm working on a very small package where I redesign the inputs of Shiny
to
have the label inline instead of above the actual widget. To avoid having
to rewrite quite big parts of Shiny, I need access to a number of internal
functions. I do this using :::, but R CMD check obviously gives a note,
indicating that this is "a bad idea".

I understand why this is in most cases a bad idea, but I see no other
option apart from literally copying these functions (and the ones they
depend on) all into my package.

Hence my questions:

- is it acceptable to get a package using ::: on CRAN? When I run R CMD
check --as-cran it only gives a note, but just to be sure...

No.

- anybody a better option to be able to use eg shiny:::selectizeIt,
shiny:::selectOptions etc?

Talk to the maintainer of shiny, and ask them to export those functions
(or equivalent ones).  This might be more successful if you write the help
pages and send them a Github pull request explaining your need, since that
makes it essentially no immediate work (just long term support work).

Duncan Murdoch

Thank you in advance
Joris