R: Search for Key Words or Phrases in the R-help Mailing List Archives or Documentation

RSiteSearch {utils} | R Documentation

## Search for Key Words or Phrases in the R-help Mailing List Archives or Documentation

### Description

Search for key words or phrases in the R-help mailing list archives, or R manuals and help pages, using the search engine at http://search.r-project.org and view them in a web browser.

### Usage

    RSiteSearch(string,
                restrict = c("Rhelp02a", "functions", "docs"),
                format = c("normal", "short"),
                sortby = c("score", "date:late", "date:early",
                           "subject", "subject:descending",
                           "from", "from:descending",
                           "size", "size:descending"),
                matchesPerPage = 20)

### Arguments

`string` | word(s) or phrase to search. If the words are to be searched as one entity, enclose all words in braces (see example).
`restrict` | a character vector, typically of length larger than one: What areas to search in: `Rhelp02a` for R-help mailing list archive since 2002, `Rhelp01` for mailing list archive before 2002, `docs` for R manuals, `functions` for help pages. `R-devel` for R-devel mailing list. Use `c()` to specify more than one.
`format` | `normal` or `short` (no excerpts); can be abbreviated.
`sortby` | character string (can be abbreviated) indicating how to sort the search results: (`score`, `date:late` for sorting by date with latest results first, `date:early` for earliest first, `subject` for subject in alphabetical order, `subject:descending` for reverse alphabetical order, `from` or `from:descending` for sender (when applicable), `size` or `size:descending` for size.)
`matchesPerPage` | How many items to show per page.

### Details

This function is designed to work with the search site at http://search.r-project.org, and depends on that site continuing to be made available (thanks to Jonathan Baron and the School of Arts and Sciences of the University of Pennslyvania).

Unique partial matches will work for all arguments. Each new browser window will stay open unless you close it.

### Value

(Invisibly) the complete URL passed to the browser, including the query string.

### Author(s)

Andy Liaw and Jonathan Baron

### See Also

`help.search`, `help.start` for local searches.

`browseURL` for how the help file is displayed.

### Examples

     # need Internet connection
    RSiteSearch("{logistic regression}") # matches exact phrase
    Sys.sleep(5) # allow browser to open, take a quick look
    RSiteSearch("Baron Liaw", restrict = "Rhelp02a")
    ## Search in R-devel archive and documents  (and store the query-string):
    Sys.sleep(5)
    fullquery <- RSiteSearch("S4", restrict = c("R-dev", "docs"))
    fullquery # a string of ~ 116 characters
    ## the latest purported bug reports, responses ...
    Sys.sleep(5)
    RSiteSearch("bug", restrict = "R-devel", sortby = "date:late")

[Package utils version 2.8.1 Index]