[R] On Reproducible Code

[Bert Gunter]

I agree and would like to see it placed at the **TOP** of every post.

-- Bert

On Fri, Jul 27, 2012 at 7:11 AM, John Kane <jrkrideau at inbox.com> wrote:
>
>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: jim at bitwrit.com.au
>> Sent: Fri, 27 Jul 2012 19:21:36 +1000
>> To: dcarlson at 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.
>
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> PLEASE do read the posting guide http://www.R-project.org/posting-guide.html
> and provide commented, minimal, self-contained, reproducible code.



-- 

Bert Gunter
Genentech Nonclinical Biostatistics

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