[ESS] the R help system

[Spencer Graves]

      For me, the response to requesting help with a conflict (described 
below) depends on the specific history in that session.  I also have 
another problem with ESS that may be related: 


SIMPLEST ISSUE: 

      If I try "select.list(letters[1:2])" in a new R session, it locks 
up.  If I do [<ctrl>-g, <ctrl>-c, <ctrl>-c] multiple times, it 
eventually comes unlocked.  After that, if I repeat 
"select.list(letters[1:2])", it seems to work fine. 


HELP PROBLEM

      I get several different responses to a request for help for 
something with a conflict:  Sometimes it locks up.  At other times, I've 
gotten a separate window with a selection box, which I think I should 
get.  More often, I get the list of options in a separate split buffer 
but with no ability to select which one I want.  For example, the "zoo" 
package has a function "as.zoo.numeric" that masks the function of that 
name in the "base" package.  If I request help('as.zoo.numeric', 
'base'), that help page scrolls by in the "*R* *" buffer.  At other 
times, when I request help for "as.zoo.numeric", I get a message that no 
such help exists: 

No documentation for 'as.zoo.numeric' in specified packages and libraries:
you could try 'help.search("as.zoo.numeric")'

(This is with the 'zoo' package clearly in the search path.) 


      Is there some better way to manage or overcome these problems? 

      Thanks,
      Spencer

SESSION INFO: 

Running ESS 5.3.8 with
GNU Emacs 22.3.1 (i386-mingw-nt5.1.2600)
 of 2008-09-06 on SOFT-MJASON

 sessionInfo()
R version 2.7.2 (2008-08-25)
i386-pc-mingw32

locale:
LC_COLLATE=English_United States.1252;LC_CTYPE=English_United 
States.1252;LC_MONETARY=English_United 
States.1252;LC_NUMERIC=C;LC_TIME=English_United States.1252

attached base packages:
[1] stats     graphics  grDevices utils     datasets  methods   base    
 >

Kasper Daniel Hansen wrote:
> I have two things which are either enhancement requests or just me not 
> doing the right thing. Both are related to the R help system. My 
> examples below are for a S4 class from package Biobase, but it should 
> be generally applicable.
>
> 1) S4 classes. If I do C-c C-v and try to find the help page on the 
> class ExpressionSet, I can get the help page if I type 
> "ExpressionSet-class", but not via TAB completion. If I (from the R 
> command prompt) type ?"ExpressionSet-class" I get a normal help page 
> buffer, but if I do class?ExpressionSet, the help is printed in the R 
> buffer instead of its own window.
>
> 2) conflicting help pages. If I have two packages, both with a help 
> page linking to the same term (an excellent example right now is the 
> Bioconductor package "affy" and the help page for image), I used to 
> get an annoying tcltk window popping up. It was annoying and slow, but 
> worked. Recently I put the following in my Rprofile
>   options(menu.graphics = FALSE)
> If I now do ?image from an R session, the little selection menu is not 
> displayed at the R prompt, but rather in a separate read-only help 
> buffer. If I try to do C-c C-v image, the same happens.
>
> Kasper
>
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