If a package is not broadly using a dependency it can be listed under Suggests: instead.
On Mon, Nov 23, 2009 at 7:09 PM, spencerg <spencer.gra...@prodsyse.com> wrote: > Beyond what Gabor said, I might download a package that uses "zoo", then use > "zoo" directly in other contexts without ever downloading it directly. > Total downloads would capture that; top level downloads would not. The > flip side is that a package that requires "zoo" may only use it for features > that I don't use. This would support the use of top level downloads over > total downloads. Spencer > > Gabor Grothendieck wrote: >> >> On Mon, Nov 23, 2009 at 3:51 PM, Fellows, Ian <ifell...@ucsd.edu> wrote: >> >>> >>> 6. Regarding package dependancies, I was thinking about also counting the >>> number of top level downloads, as approximated >>> by the number of downloads where a reverse dependancy was not downloaded >>> in the next 5 min by the same IP. >>> >> >> Top level downloads discriminates against infrastructure packages, >> i.e. packages that are not necessarily directly used by users or even >> downloaded directly by users. It can make it seem as if a package >> that is widely used, but not directly by users, is barely used at all >> so total downloads seems a better metric of popularity than top level >> downloads. >> >> I can't find it just now but remember reading a post on another list, >> or maybe it was his blog, by the author of certain software (not >> related to R) that was fundamental to Ruby on Rails but as >> infrastructure would not be directly observed by the user yet Ruby on >> Rails got all the credit and his key contribution got almost none >> despite the fact that Ruby on Rails likely would have never achieved >> its current high level of popularity without his contribution. >> >> ______________________________________________ >> R-devel@r-project.org mailing list >> https://stat.ethz.ch/mailman/listinfo/r-devel >> >> > > > -- > Spencer Graves, PE, PhD > President and Chief Operating Officer > Structure Inspection and Monitoring, Inc. > 751 Emerson Ct. > San José, CA 95126 > ph: 408-655-4567 > > ______________________________________________ R-devel@r-project.org mailing list https://stat.ethz.ch/mailman/listinfo/r-devel
