Re: [R] Demo files in R packages
On 2026-01-25 4:39 p.m., Michael L Friendly wrote: One thing I'd like to do is to use `demo(package="mypkg")` in the README.Rmd file for `mypkg`. Currently, this opens up an editor window in RStudio. But I don't know how to capture this for inclusion in the README. It returns an object of class “packageIQR” which I’ve never heard of demo(package = "vcdExtra") |> class() [1] "packageIQR" demo(package="vcdExtra") If you run `unclass(demo(package="vcdExtra"))` you can see the (undocumented?) structure of a packageIQR object. It's pretty simple: a list with a few labels, and a "results" matrix with information about the demos. You could print it using demo(package="vcdExtra")$results or just the interesting bits with demo(package="vcdExtra")$results[,3:4] Duncan Murdoch -Original Message- From: Koenker, Roger W Sent: January 25, 2026 3:53 PM To: Michael L Friendly Cc: Duncan Murdoch ; [email protected] Subject: Re: [R] Demo files in R packages I too find demos quite useful, particularly for my REBayes package for which documented examples are useless since CRAN checking doesn’t or at least didn’t have an installed Mosek capability. I’ve taken to adding references to them in the body of the roxyen2 documentation but this is a bit hit or miss. Fortunately, as Micheal says demo(package = “foo”) still works provided that users are aware of it. I would also be interested in other creative solutions to make them more visible. Roger On Jan 25, 2026, at 10:44 AM, Michael L Friendly mailto:[email protected]>> wrote: I know I can put them into a vignette, but the advantage of demo files is that you can run them using demo(). It just seems like the facilities for demo files were abandoned. -Michael -Original Message- From: Duncan Murdoch mailto:[email protected]>> Sent: January 24, 2026 6:02 PM To: Michael L Friendly mailto:[email protected]>>; [email protected] <mailto:[email protected]> Subject: Re: [R] Demo files in R packages On 2026-01-24 4:49 p.m., Michael L Friendly wrote: Before vignettes were established as a way to document a package, there were demos, R files in a `demo/` folder with a `demo/00-Index` file giving their contents. Used as `demo(package="...")` this gave a window with a list and titles, and `demo("example1", package="...") ran `demo/example1.R` in the console. It was also a good way to give a pointer to something more extensive than you wanted to include in the examples for a function or dataset. This idea still works for R packages, but is not available for use in roxygen2 documentation, or pkgdown sites. I have several packages with collections of demo/ files, and am wondering if there is anything further I can do with them to make them accessible. I converted most of my demo files in rgl to a single vignette. I just added a simple paragraph This vignette holds code that was previously included as "demos" in `rgl`. Some of the demos require R to be running; those remain available via `demo(package = "rgl")`. As the second sentence indicates, rgl still has a few demos, mostly Shiny examples. Conversion was simple: just copy the title into a heading, and include all the code. Duncan Murdoch __ [email protected] <mailto:[email protected]> mailing list -- To UNSUBSCRIBE and more, see https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://stat.ethz.ch/mailman/listinfo/r-he <https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://stat.ethz.ch/mailman/listinfo/r-he> lp__;!!DZ3fjg!9JAEtHwhqq2bhNITvwUxzNd_yVeNP1ijh99HnlVKpoq55zBGZ-Qvbs1r 0tjCqVsbM4Or3_Lx9QWFluvaLBYLQg$ PLEASE do read the posting guide https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://www.R-project.org/posting-guide.ht <https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://www.R-project.org/posting-guide.ht> ml__;!!DZ3fjg!9JAEtHwhqq2bhNITvwUxzNd_yVeNP1ijh99HnlVKpoq55zBGZ-Qvbs1r 0tjCqVsbM4Or3_Lx9QWFluvwC65ABA$ and provide commented, minimal, self-contained, reproducible code. __ [email protected] mailing list -- To UNSUBSCRIBE and more, see https://stat.ethz.ch/mailman/listinfo/r-help PLEASE do read the posting guide https://www.R-project.org/posting-guide.html and provide commented, minimal, self-contained, reproducible code.
Re: [R] Demo files in R packages
I too find demos quite useful, particularly for my REBayes package for which documented examples are useless since CRAN checking doesn’t or at least didn’t have an installed Mosek capability. I’ve taken to adding references to them in the body of the roxyen2 documentation but this is a bit hit or miss. Fortunately, as Micheal says demo(package = “foo”) still works provided that users are aware of it. I would also be interested in other creative solutions to make them more visible. Roger > On Jan 25, 2026, at 10:44 AM, Michael L Friendly wrote: > > I know I can put them into a vignette, but the advantage of demo files is > that you can run them using demo(). > It just seems like the facilities for demo files were abandoned. > > -Michael > > > > -Original Message- > From: Duncan Murdoch > Sent: January 24, 2026 6:02 PM > To: Michael L Friendly ; [email protected] > Subject: Re: [R] Demo files in R packages > > On 2026-01-24 4:49 p.m., Michael L Friendly wrote: >> Before vignettes were established as a way to document a package, there were >> demos, R files in a `demo/` folder with a `demo/00-Index` file giving their >> contents. >> Used as `demo(package="...")` this gave a window with a list and titles, and >> `demo("example1", package="...") ran `demo/example1.R` in the console. >> It was also a good way to give a pointer to something more extensive than >> you wanted to include in the examples for a function or dataset. >> >> This idea still works for R packages, but is not available for use in >> roxygen2 documentation, or pkgdown sites. >> I have several packages with collections of demo/ files, and am wondering if >> there is anything further I can do with them to make them accessible. > > I converted most of my demo files in rgl to a single vignette. I just added > a simple paragraph > >> This vignette holds code that was previously included as "demos" >> in `rgl`. Some of the demos require R to be running; those remain >> available via `demo(package = "rgl")`. > > As the second sentence indicates, rgl still has a few demos, mostly Shiny > examples. > > Conversion was simple: just copy the title into a heading, and include all > the code. > > Duncan Murdoch > __ > [email protected] mailing list -- To UNSUBSCRIBE and more, see > https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://stat.ethz.ch/mailman/listinfo/r-help__;!!DZ3fjg!9JAEtHwhqq2bhNITvwUxzNd_yVeNP1ijh99HnlVKpoq55zBGZ-Qvbs1r0tjCqVsbM4Or3_Lx9QWFluvaLBYLQg$ > PLEASE do read the posting guide > https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://www.R-project.org/posting-guide.html__;!!DZ3fjg!9JAEtHwhqq2bhNITvwUxzNd_yVeNP1ijh99HnlVKpoq55zBGZ-Qvbs1r0tjCqVsbM4Or3_Lx9QWFluvwC65ABA$ > and provide commented, minimal, self-contained, reproducible code. __ [email protected] mailing list -- To UNSUBSCRIBE and more, see https://stat.ethz.ch/mailman/listinfo/r-help PLEASE do read the posting guide https://www.R-project.org/posting-guide.html and provide commented, minimal, self-contained, reproducible code.
Re: [R] Demo files in R packages
I know I can put them into a vignette, but the advantage of demo files is that you can run them using demo(). It just seems like the facilities for demo files were abandoned. -Michael -Original Message- From: Duncan Murdoch Sent: January 24, 2026 6:02 PM To: Michael L Friendly ; [email protected] Subject: Re: [R] Demo files in R packages On 2026-01-24 4:49 p.m., Michael L Friendly wrote: > Before vignettes were established as a way to document a package, there were > demos, R files in a `demo/` folder with a `demo/00-Index` file giving their > contents. > Used as `demo(package="...")` this gave a window with a list and titles, and > `demo("example1", package="...") ran `demo/example1.R` in the console. > It was also a good way to give a pointer to something more extensive than you > wanted to include in the examples for a function or dataset. > > This idea still works for R packages, but is not available for use in > roxygen2 documentation, or pkgdown sites. > I have several packages with collections of demo/ files, and am wondering if > there is anything further I can do with them to make them accessible. I converted most of my demo files in rgl to a single vignette. I just added a simple paragraph > This vignette holds code that was previously included as "demos" > in `rgl`. Some of the demos require R to be running; those remain > available via `demo(package = "rgl")`. As the second sentence indicates, rgl still has a few demos, mostly Shiny examples. Conversion was simple: just copy the title into a heading, and include all the code. Duncan Murdoch __ [email protected] mailing list -- To UNSUBSCRIBE and more, see https://stat.ethz.ch/mailman/listinfo/r-help PLEASE do read the posting guide https://www.R-project.org/posting-guide.html and provide commented, minimal, self-contained, reproducible code.
Re: [R] Demo files in R packages
On 2026-01-24 4:49 p.m., Michael L Friendly wrote:
Before vignettes were established as a way to document a package, there were
demos, R files in a `demo/` folder with a `demo/00-Index` file giving their
contents.
Used as `demo(package="...")` this gave a window with a list and titles, and
`demo("example1", package="...") ran `demo/example1.R` in the console.
It was also a good way to give a pointer to something more extensive than you
wanted to include in the examples for a function or dataset.
This idea still works for R packages, but is not available for use in roxygen2
documentation, or pkgdown sites.
I have several packages with collections of demo/ files, and am wondering if
there is anything further I can do with them to make them accessible.
I converted most of my demo files in rgl to a single vignette. I just
added a simple paragraph
This vignette holds code that was previously included as "demos"
in `rgl`. Some of the demos require R to be running; those
remain available via `demo(package = "rgl")`.
As the second sentence indicates, rgl still has a few demos, mostly
Shiny examples.
Conversion was simple: just copy the title into a heading, and include
all the code.
Duncan Murdoch
__
[email protected] mailing list -- To UNSUBSCRIBE and more, see
https://stat.ethz.ch/mailman/listinfo/r-help
PLEASE do read the posting guide https://www.R-project.org/posting-guide.html
and provide commented, minimal, self-contained, reproducible code.
