[R] how to use "..."

[Duncan Murdoch]

On 13-01-20 2:28 PM, Steve Taylor wrote:
>> From: Duncan Murdoch
>> Maybe we just need a manual on how to use the existing help system.  But
>> I suspect people who won't read the existing manuals won't read that
>> one, either.
>
> Duncan, I assume you're being facetious.  Every R user soon learns to use help() and help.search() or their equivalents.  We don't need a manual to teach that.

There are other parts of the help system that you don't appear to know 
about.  Run help.start() for the main index page.  help() is kind of a 
shortcut to the section labelled "Packages".  help.search() gets you to 
"Search Engine & Keywords".  There are 15 other headings to explore as well.

>
>>> Rolf Turner wrote:
>>>> The "help" facility is applicable to functions and data sets.  It is not
>>>> designed
>>>> or intended to give "help" with respect to R syntax (with the exception of
>>>> the basic syntax of the operators --- unary and binary --- and the
>>>> associated
>>>> rules of precedence).
>
> Then why are there help pages ?":::", ?"for", ?"NA_character_", ?".C" and ?"??" but not ?"..." ?!

Those are all functions or other objects, while ... is not.  There are 
examples of topic aliases that are not objects, e.g. ?Syntax, but mostly 
Rolf is right.  Most discussion of the syntax is in the manuals.

Duncan Murdoch