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[R-pkg-devel] Changing a package's name

5 messages · David Hugh-Jones, Michael Dewey, Duncan Murdoch +1 more

Original
David Hugh-Jones
# 
Hello all,

A short while ago I released the "huxtable" package for writing HTML and
LaTeX tables:
https://www.github.com/hughjonesd/huxtable

The name seemed cute to me, but I later found out that to Americans it has
special associations. The Huxtables were the family in the Cosby show. That
would be fine, except that Bill Cosby is now on trial for one case of rape,
and there are accusations of many other cases.

So, two questions:

* Do you think I should change the name?

Comments welcome from Americans and others on this difficult cultural issue.

* If I do, what's the best and least disruptive way to do it? Bear in mind
that I have a couple of thousand users.

My first thought would be to release an update which gives a warning about
the future change when the package is loaded; then release a package with
the new name and continue development on this branch.

David
1 day later
Michael Dewey
# 
Dear David

It is your package and you can choose the name you prefer. If you feel 
uncomfortable with the current one then change it. I do not think anyone 
else's opinion is relevant unless a package author picks a name that all 
right thinking people would find offensive.
On 11/06/2017 14:51, David Hugh-Jones wrote:

  
    
  


  


      

    

    

      
      

        


  

        

      David Hugh-Jones
    

    

      
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Apropos of nothing, I just came across this line at
https://github.com/trestletech/plumber:

plumber was originally released as the rapier package and has since been
renamed (7/13/2015)

Heh.

David

        
On 13 June 2017 at 13:29, Michael Dewey <lists at dewey.myzen.co.uk> wrote:

        

            

      
      
      
    

        

      
      
    

            

      
      
      
    

        

  
  


  


      

    

    

      
      

        


  

        

      Duncan Murdoch
    

    

      
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On 13/06/2017 7:29 AM, Michael Dewey wrote:

            

      
      
      
    

        
However, CRAN's opinion is relevant if you want them to distribute it 
for you.  Name changes cause extra work for them so please don't do it 
unnecessarily, and if you do think it's necessary, explain your 
reasoning to them when you submit.

Duncan Murdoch

            

      
      
      
    

        

      
      
    

            

      
      
      
    

  
  


  


      

    

    

      
      

        


  

        

      Uwe Ligges
    

    

      
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On 13.06.2017 15:40, Duncan Murdoch wrote:

            

      
      
      
    

        
OK, it appears I have to say a word:

Thanks to all for contributing to this thread so far.
Indeed, Duncan is right, and not only the work required to get it done 
is relevant, also the effort for users to recognize the name change and 
the fact that the old name is reserved for the CRAN namespace and nobody 
else can submit another package under such a name is an issue to be 
considered.

So for the archives, as Duncan says: You have to have a very good reason 
to justify publication of an updated package under a new name.

Best,
Uwe Ligges