> > "For users who don't know anything about R, this solution may work fine. > But > for users that do know R, it is unsatisfactory...program changes the > working directory, fills it with hundreds of alien-looking functions and > data, and crashes if working directory is changed or variables are modified > by hand."
Is this something that can be solved with an environment inside of the package? I've done this in the past with good results. Check out Dirk's rpushbullet for an example: https://github.com/eddelbuettel/rpushbullet/blob/master/R/init.R the first line of code he sets one up .pkgenv <- new.env(parent=emptyenv()) and then creates and access objects inside of that throughout the rest of the package. On Thu, May 12, 2016 at 1:25 PM, Dalthorp, Daniel <ddalth...@usgs.gov> wrote: > Thanks, Dirk. > > Sorry for my lack of clarity. I do want to create a package and have > created one and it works, but the structure is awkward. I'm hoping someone > can help me straighten out the organization. > > In package/R folder, I have several files that define standalone functions > that crunch data. > In package/data folder, I have several source files that construct > appropriate tktoplevel() windows with the desired widgets > To start the application, user opens a main tktoplevel() window by entering > a simple command from R. > That main window has several buttons that source() files in package/data > folder to build a new tktoplevel(), depending on user choice > > For users who don't know anything about R, this solution may work fine. But > for users that do know R, it is unsatisfactory...program changes the > working directory, fills it with hundreds of alien-looking functions and > data, and crashes if working directory is changed or variables are modified > by hand. > > I came up with that goofy solution to get around two issues: > 1. I wasn't able to get away with defining tktoplevel windows with > associated widgets and storing in .Rda's packaged in /data or as > devtools::use_data(...internal = T), so I figured they needed to be defined > and created as needed; > 2. it is easy to define the tktoplevels via code in source() files, but I > was having trouble with scoping and bookkeeping issues when trying to > define them via functions instead. It would be convenient to have all the > interesting data stored as globals and use the tkwidgets to edit and > manipulate them without having to think specifically about how to pass the > interesting data back and forth. > > E.g. is there an easy way to organize the following into a package that > does not use 'source', treats tk.x and tk.y as globals, and does not take > over the user's working directory with a bunch of variables like tt1, > x.edit, tk.x, tk.y, etc.? > tt1 <- tktoplevel() > tk.x <- tclVar() > x.edit <- tkentry(tt1, textvariable = tk.x, width = 5) > x.lbl <- tklabel(tt1, text = "Enter x value: ") > xcalc <- tkbutton(tt1, text = "Calculate", command = function() > tkmessageBox(message = tclvalue(tk.x))) > doMoreStuff <- tkbutton(tt1, text = "Do more...", command = function() > source('doStuff_form.R')) > tkgrid(x.lbl, x.edit) > tkgrid(xcalc,doMoreStuff) > > # in doStuff_form.R: > tt2 <- tktoplevel() > tk.y<-tclVar() > y.edit<- tkentry(tt2, textvariable = tk.y, width = 5) > anscalc <- tkbutton(tt2, text = "calculate answer", command = function() > tkmessageBox(message=as.numeric(tclvalue(tk.y)) * > as.numeric(tclvalue(tk.x))) > ) > tkgrid(y.edit, anscalc) > > -Dan > > On Thu, May 12, 2016 at 8:30 AM, Dirk Eddelbuettel <e...@debian.org> wrote: > > > > > On 11 May 2016 at 12:56, Dalthorp, Daniel wrote: > > | I have an R/tcltk application that is designed for use primarily by > > people > > | who don't know R and don't care to learn much about it. I'd like users > to > > | be able to use the software with a bare minimum interaction with R. > > | > > | Although the application has some 15000 lines of code in a couple dozen > > .R > > | files, in essence I don't think it's much more than an elaborate > version > > of > > | the following: > > | > > | library(tcltk) > > | tt <- tktoplevel() # a required container for tk objects (textboxes, > > | radiobuttons, data tables, etc.) > > | tk.x <- tclVar() # a tcl version of user variable x > > | x.edit <- tkentry(tt, textvariable = tk.x, width = 5) # box for user to > > | enter x value > > | x.lbl <- tklabel(tt, text = "Enter x value: ") # a fixed label > > | xcalc <- tkbutton(tt, text = "Calculate", command = function() > > | tkmessageBox(message = tclvalue(tk.x))) # button that prints x to R > > console > > | tkgrid(x.lbl, x.edit, xcalc) # a function that puts the textbox, label, > > and > > | button onto the tk window > > | > > | The following doesn't work: > > | # tt, x.edit, x.lbl, xcalc all seem to me like an R objects that will > not > > | be modified, so I tried > > | devtools::use_data(tt, x.edit, x.lbl, xcalc, internal = F, > overwrite=T) # > > | (after defining them) > > | # tk.x is a variable that I want to assign a value to at the beginning, > > but > > | user can later change the value: > > | devtools::use_data(tt, x.edit, x.lbl, xcalc, internal = F, overwrite=T) > > | > > | The following does work, but it is not a good solution: > > | (1) define working directory as package/data > > | (2) create new tk windows via tkbutton commands = function() > > | source(filename) > > | This forces the user to use a pre-defined working directory. My > > application > > | fills that wd with several hundred functions and variables. If user > > changes > > | wd or changes values of variables that my app needs, the program > crashes. > > | > > | Any help would be greatly appreciated! > > > > I haven't seen the obvious stated: Have you looked into creating a > > package? > > > > It can contain as much tcl/tk support code as you like, etc pp. And as > > you > > state you have '15000 lines of code in a couple dozen .R files' you are > > well > > passed the point where a package really is the best choice. > > > > Dirk > > > > -- > > http://dirk.eddelbuettel.com | @eddelbuettel | e...@debian.org > > > > > > -- > Dan Dalthorp, PhD > USGS Forest and Rangeland Ecosystem Science Center > Forest Sciences Lab, Rm 189 > 3200 SW Jefferson Way > Corvallis, OR 97331 > ph: 541-750-0953 > ddalth...@usgs.gov > > [[alternative HTML version deleted]] > > ______________________________________________ > R-package-devel@r-project.org mailing list > https://stat.ethz.ch/mailman/listinfo/r-package-devel > [[alternative HTML version deleted]] ______________________________________________ R-package-devel@r-project.org mailing list https://stat.ethz.ch/mailman/listinfo/r-package-devel
