R: Detach Objects from the Search Path

detach {base}

R Documentation

Detach Objects from the Search Path

Description

Detach a database, i.e., remove it from the search() path of available R objects. Usually, this is either a data.frame which has been attached or a package which was required previously.

Usage

detach(name, pos = 2, version)

Arguments

name

The object to detach. Defaults to search()[pos]. This can be a name or a character string but not a character vector.

pos

Index position in search() of database to detach. When name is a number, pos = name is used.

version

A character string denoting a version number of the package to be loaded. If no version is given, a suitable default is chosen.

Value

The attached database is returned invisibly, either as data.frame or as list.

Note

You cannot detach either the workspace (position 1) or the base package (the last item in the search list).

References

Becker, R. A., Chambers, J. M. and Wilks, A. R. (1988) The New S Language. Wadsworth \& Brooks/Cole.

Examples

require(splines)#package
detach(package:splines)
## could equally well use detach("package:splines")
## but NOT  pkg <- "package:splines"; detach(pkg)
## Instead, use
library(splines)
pkg <- "package:splines"
detach(pos = match(pkg, search()))

## careful: do not do this unless 'splines' is not already loaded.
library(splines)
detach(2)# 'pos' used for 'name'

[Package base version 2.0.0 ]