Install Add-on Packages from Sources

Description

To install packages into the default library tree (which is rooted at ‘\$R\_HOME/library’), do Rcmd INSTALL pkgs.

To install into the library tree lib instead of the default one, use Rcmd INSTALL -l lib pkgs.

Usage

Rcmd INSTALL [options] [-l lib] pkgs

Arguments

Details

Windows Perl and the files for installing from source packages need to be installed.

Both lib and the elements of pkgs may be absolute or relative path names. pkgs can also contain name of package archive files of the form ‘pkg\_version.tar.gz’ as obtained from CRAN (these are then extracted in a temporary directory ‘R.INSTALL’ of the current directory).

If the option --save is used, the installation procedure creates a binary image of the package code, which is then loaded when the library is attached, rather than evaluating the package source at that time. Having a file install.R in the package directory makes this the default behavior for the package (option --no-save overrides). You may need --save if your package requires other packages to evaluate its own source. If the file ‘install.R’ is non-empty, it should contain R expressions to be executed when the package is attached, after loading the saved image.

For checking (via the examples in the help files ‘man/*.Rd’, use Rcmd check [-l lib] <pkg>: use Rcmd check --help for more information.

Which forms of help are produced is controlled by the --docs option which takes values none or normal (text and HTML) or chm (the default, text, HTML and CHTML) or winhlp or all (adding old-style Windows .hlp files, no longer tested).

Packages using the methods package

Packages that require the methods package, and that use functions such as setMethod or setClass, should be installed by creating a binary image.

The package should require the methods package, both during installation and when the user attaches the package. A good solution for most cases is to include the line require("methods") twice, once at the beginning of the package's R source, and once in the file ‘install.R’ in the package directory (the top-level directory, not in the ‘R’ directory below that). The ‘install.R’ file causes an image to be saved, and the contents will ensure that methods are available when the package is attached.

See Also

REMOVE, and library for information on using several library trees and creating packages; update.packages for automatic update of packages using the internet.