On 29/07/2019 7:39 a.m., Ant F wrote:
Dear all,
The help for `?install.packages` decribes, in the `pkg` argument
description :
If this is missing, a listbox of available packages is presented where
possible in an interactive R session.
In fact running it with a missing argument triggers an error :
install.packages()
Error in install.packages : argument "pkgs" is missing, with no default
What however doesn't trigger an error is callinginstall.packages on a zero
length character :
install.packages(character(0))
On my colleague's R 3.5.1 windows installation it shows the listbox of
available packages, on my 3.6.0 installation it pauses for a couple seconds
and doesn't do anything.
A character vector of length zero is what you get when you compute an empty
`setdiff` or `intersection`, so it was very surprising to us to see
something popup where we were expecting a vector of missing packages to be
installed (or none if there was no missing package).
I believe having the function work as advertised with a proper missing
argument, and having it do nothing silently when the argument is of length
zero, would make more sense.
The change you are requesting is listed as having been done in the NEWS
for 3.6.0...
Duncan Murdoch
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