exporting box::use()

[mmuurr]

I'm just about to experiment with my first nested set of modules. Looking at the ./bio/seq example I see the line in ./bio/__init__.r:

#' @export
box::use(./seq)

Intuitively this makes perfect sense to me, but nevertheless I like reading technical descriptions to verify any assumptions I'm making by reading examples. I couldn't find explicit documentation of this pattern, however. As shown above, the single assignment (to seq), which then gets exported makes sense.

The other shown example is:

#' @export
box::use(./seq[...])

... which differs in that now multiple objects are being exported via the single @export tag. I assume this is equivalent to box::export(...) with multiple args, but I figure it's worth asking for explicit verification of this :-)

[klmr]

That’s right, I forgot to document this publicly; the relevant documentation exists, but it’s package internal and thus not indexed. Here it is: https://klmr.me/box/reference/parse_export_specs.html#note

There are two situations in which the @export tag can be applied:

1. When applied to assignments, the assigned name is exported.

2. When applied to a box::use call, the imported names are exported. This can be the module name itself, any attached names, or both. All names introduced by the box::use call are exported. See use for the rules governing what names are introduced into the scope, and thus exported.

In any other situation, applying the @export tag is an error.

I should also add that all the following expressions are recognised as “assignment”:

name = value
name <- value
name <<- value
name := value
assign('name', value, …)
makeActiveBinding('name', value, envir)

Does this answer your question? — At any rate, the documentation should obviously be public, and probably extended by concrete examples.

[mmuurr]

That answers it, yes; thanks!