[R] Use and misuse of "update" function for non-models. Any views/recommendations??

[Prof Brian Ripley]

update() is generic, so the recommended approach would be to write a 
method for your objects.

Creating your own function update() in a package would probably not break 
too much, as namespaces would protect most functions using the generic in 
stats.  But it could be very confusing to users.

On Tue, 20 Nov 2007, Søren Højsgaard wrote:

> Dear all,
>
> I wonder if it is "bad style" (or something worse) to create an "update" 
> function which does not work on model objects of the lm, glm etc. type. 
> Specifically, I have some graph objects (graphs as mathematical objects, 
> not as displays) which I want to alter and for that purpose I thought of 
> writing an update function. Would doing so violate a "deeper philosophy" 
> in the R system or have other unfortunate consequences. If so, I'm happy 
> to hear other suggestions...
>
> Regards
> Søren
>
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-- 
Brian D. Ripley,                  ripley at stats.ox.ac.uk
Professor of Applied Statistics,  http://www.stats.ox.ac.uk/~ripley/
University of Oxford,             Tel:  +44 1865 272861 (self)
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