ns-dblcolon               package:base               R Documentation

Double Colon and Triple Colon Operators

Description:

     Accessing exported and internal variables in a name space.

Usage:

     pkg::name
     pkg:::name

Arguments:

     pkg: package name symbol or literal character string.

    name: variable name symbol or literal character string.

Details:

     The expression 'pkg::name' returns the value of the exported
     variable 'name' in package 'pkg' if the package has a name space. 
     The expression 'pkg:::name' returns the value of the internal
     variable 'name' in package 'pkg' if the package has a name space. 
     The package will be loaded if it was not loaded already before the
     call.  Assignment into name spaces is not supported.

     Note that it is typically a design mistake to use ':::' in your
     code since the corresponding object has probably been kept
     namespace-internal for a good reason.  Consider contacting the
     package maintainer if you feel the need to access the object for
     anything but mere inspection.

     If the package 'pkg' does not have a name space but is on the
     search path then 'pkg::name' returns the value of 'name' in the
     package environment.

See Also:

     'get' to access an object masked by another of the same name.

Examples:

     base::log
     base::"+"

     ## Beware --  use ':::' at your own risk! (see "Details")
     stats:::coef.default

