> -----Original Message----- > From: j...@bitwrit.com.au > Sent: Fri, 27 Jul 2012 19:21:36 +1000 > To: dcarl...@tamu.edu > Subject: Re: [R] On Reproducible Code > > On 07/26/2012 01:50 AM, David L Carlson wrote: >> We often refer requesters to the Posting Guide and chide them for not >> reading it. > >... >> I hesitate to sound too optimistic, but there might be some advantage in >> making the statement more prominent and adding a reproducible example >> using >> dput(). >> > The reponses to some requests for help do seem to get a volley of the > "reproducible code" answers. Some, such as: > > I can't get the answer. PLEASE HELP!!! > > probably deserve it, but others appear to emerge from the overheated > brain of the frustrated noob. With a wonderfully informative name like > "dput", it is rather challenging to guess that this function is the way > to calm the affronted guru with an example of your problem. I am > particularly amused by the phrase "reproducible code", which sounds > perilously close to the definition of a virus. Perhaps the neglected > little message at the bottom of each email (which seems to reproduce > itself) might be easier for the uninitiated to understand if it read: > > Please include the R code that is causing the problem _and_ enough data > (see the "dput" function) for someone else to run the code and get the > same problem. > > I can remember when I didn't know that there was a "dput" function. > > Jim I can remember spending a lot of time constructing a data set to post before someone mentioned ?dput. Ah, yes, I still have a couple of generic ones archived.
I think your wording above makes a lot of sense. ____________________________________________________________ GET FREE SMILEYS FOR YOUR IM & EMAIL - Learn more at http://www.inbox.com/smileys Works with AIM®, MSN® Messenger, Yahoo!® Messenger, ICQ®, Google Talk™ and most webmails ______________________________________________ R-help@r-project.org mailing list https://stat.ethz.ch/mailman/listinfo/r-help PLEASE do read the posting guide http://www.R-project.org/posting-guide.html and provide commented, minimal, self-contained, reproducible code.
