Hi, I currently have a package on CRAN called "plasma" (which is an acronym for an algorithm). Reviewers of the paper submitted to describe this package/algorithm have requested that the name be changed to PLASMA to make sure that users don't somehow think we are talking about the similarly named component of the blood instead. Is there any simple way (that won't burden or confuse the CRAN maintainers excessively) to make this change? Thanks, ? Kevin
[R-pkg-devel] Case of package name
5 messages · Duncan Murdoch, Dirk Eddelbuettel, Kevin Coombes
On 2024-12-30 10:36 a.m., Kevin R. Coombes wrote:
Hi, I currently have a package on CRAN called "plasma" (which is an acronym for an algorithm). Reviewers of the paper submitted to describe this package/algorithm have requested that the name be changed to PLASMA to make sure that users don't somehow think we are talking about the similarly named component of the blood instead. Is there any simple way (that won't burden or confuse the CRAN maintainers excessively) to make this change?
I don't think so. CRAN won't allow a package named PLASMA to be submitted because plasma is already there and names need to be unique irrespective of case. The simplest thing that you could do is to choose a different name, e.g. PLASMA2, that doesn't conflict with any existing name, and then ask for plasma to be archived once PLASMA2 has been accepted. But I think CRAN would be reluctant to do even this, because it inconveniences anyone who has used the plasma package. Alternatively, point out these issues to the reviewers, and suggest that confusion with blood plasma is unlikely given the context and full title of your package. Duncan Murdoch
Thanks; I suspected as much. I will try changing the name of the algorithm (in the manuscript) to uppercase, and leave the package name alone. On Mon, Dec 30, 2024, 10:59?AM Duncan Murdoch <murdoch.duncan at gmail.com> wrote:
On 2024-12-30 10:36 a.m., Kevin R. Coombes wrote:
Hi, I currently have a package on CRAN called "plasma" (which is an acronym for an algorithm). Reviewers of the paper submitted to describe this package/algorithm have requested that the name be changed to PLASMA to make sure that users don't somehow think we are talking about the similarly named component of the blood instead. Is there any simple way (that won't burden or confuse the CRAN maintainers excessively) to make this change?
I don't think so. CRAN won't allow a package named PLASMA to be submitted because plasma is already there and names need to be unique irrespective of case. The simplest thing that you could do is to choose a different name, e.g. PLASMA2, that doesn't conflict with any existing name, and then ask for plasma to be archived once PLASMA2 has been accepted. But I think CRAN would be reluctant to do even this, because it inconveniences anyone who has used the plasma package. Alternatively, point out these issues to the reviewers, and suggest that confusion with blood plasma is unlikely given the context and full title of your package. Duncan Murdoch
On 30 December 2024 at 11:24, Kevin Coombes wrote:
| Thanks; I suspected as much. I will try changing the name of the algorithm | (in the manuscript) to uppercase, and leave the package name alone. Some (software-centric) journals (JSS, R Journal, ...) use a distinct font for software components such as R package. Maybe that is an option for you? Dirk
dirk.eddelbuettel.com | @eddelbuettel | edd at debian.org
Thanks. I was already using a monospace font when I referred specifically to the package.
On Mon, Dec 30, 2024, 12:07?PM Dirk Eddelbuettel <edd at debian.org> wrote:
On 30 December 2024 at 11:24, Kevin Coombes wrote: | Thanks; I suspected as much. I will try changing the name of the algorithm | (in the manuscript) to uppercase, and leave the package name alone. Some (software-centric) journals (JSS, R Journal, ...) use a distinct font for software components such as R package. Maybe that is an option for you? Dirk -- dirk.eddelbuettel.com | @eddelbuettel | edd at debian.org