help.request              package:utils              R Documentation

Send a Post to R-help

Description:

     Prompts the user to check they have done all that is expected of
     them before sending a post to the R-help mailing list, provides a
     template for the post with session information included and
     optionally sends the email (on Unix systems).

Usage:

     help.request(subject = "",
                  ccaddress = Sys.getenv("USER"),
                  method = getOption("mailer"),
                  address = "r-help@R-project.org",
                  file = "R.help.request")

Arguments:

 subject: subject of the email.  Please do not use single quotes (''')
          in the subject!  Post separate help requests for multiple
          queries.

ccaddress: optional email address for copies (default is current user).
           Use 'ccaddress = FALSE' for no copies.

  method: submission method: for Unix one of '"mailx"', '"gnudoit"',
          '"none"' or '"ess"'; for Windows either '"none"' (default) or
          '"mailto"'.

 address: recipient's email address.

    file: file to use for setting up the email (or storing it when
          method is '"none"' or sending mail fails).

Details:

     This function is not intended to replace the posting guide. Please
     read the guide before posting to R-help or using this function
     (see <URL: http://www.r-project.org/posting-guide.html>).

     The 'help.request' function:

        *  asks whether the user has consulted relevant resources,
           stopping and opening the relevant url if a negative response
           if given.

        *  checks whether the current version of R is being used and
           whether the add-on packages are up-to-date, giving the
           option of updating where necessary.

        *  asks whether the user has prepared appropriate (minimal,
           reproducible, self-contained, commented) example code ready
           to paste into the post.

     Once this checklist has been completed a template post is prepared
     including current session information.

     If method is '"none"' or 'NULL', then the default text editor is
     opened for the user to complete the post.  Which editor is used
     can be controlled using 'options', type 'getOption("editor")' to
     see what editor is currently defined.  Please use the help pages
     of the respective editor for details of usage.  The report can
     then be copied to your favorite email program and sent to the
     r-help list.

     On Windows systems there is an experimental '"mailto"' option,
     which sends the template post to the system's default email
     program for the user to edit and send.

     On Unix systems there are three options for direct submission of
     the post. If the submission method is '"mailx"', then the default
     editor is used to write the help request. After saving the help
     request (in the temporary file opened) and exiting the editor the
     report is mailed using a Unix command line mail utility such as
     'mailx'.  A copy of the mail is sent to the current user. If
     method is '"gnudoit"', then an emacs mail buffer is opened and
     used for sending the email. If method is '"ess"' the body of the
     mail is simply sent to stdout.

Value:

     Nothing useful.

Author(s):

     Heather Turner, based on code and help page of 'bug.report()'.

See Also:

     The posting guide (<URL:
     http://www.r-project.org/posting-guide.html>), also
     'sessionInfo()' from which you may add to the help request.

