| % File src/library/methods/man/methods-package.Rd |
| % Part of the R package, https://www.R-project.org |
| % Copyright 1995-2007 R Core Team |
| % Distributed under GPL 2 or later |
| |
| \name{methods-package} |
| \alias{methods-package} |
| \docType{package} |
| \title{ |
| Formal Methods and Classes |
| } |
| \description{ |
| Formally defined methods and classes for R objects, plus |
| other programming tools, as described in the references. |
| } |
| \details{ |
| This package provides the \dQuote{S4} or \dQuote{S version 4} |
| approach to methods and classes in a functional language. |
| |
| For basic use of the techniques, start with \link{Introduction} and |
| follow the links there to the key functions for programming, notably |
| \code{\link{setClass}} and \code{\link{setMethod}}. |
| |
| Some specific topics: |
| |
| \describe{ |
| \item{Classes:}{ Creating one, see \code{\link{setClass}}; |
| examining definitions, see \code{\link{getClassDef}} and |
| \linkS4class{classRepresentation}; inheritance and coercing, |
| see \code{\link{is}} and \code{\link{as}} |
| } |
| |
| \item{Generic functions:}{ Basic programming, see |
| \code{\link{setGeneric}}; the class of objects, see |
| \linkS4class{genericFunction}; other functions to examine or |
| manipulate them, see \link{GenericFunctions}. |
| } |
| \item{S3:}{Using classes, see \code{\link{setOldClass}}; methods, |
| see \link{Methods_for_S3}. |
| } |
| \item{Reference classes:}{See \link{ReferenceClasses}. |
| } |
| \item{Class unions; virtual classes}{See \code{\link{setClassUnion}}. |
| } |
| |
| } |
| These pages will have additional links to related topics. |
| |
| For a complete |
| list of functions and classes, use \code{library(help="methods")}. |
| } |
| |
| \references{ |
| Chambers, John M. (2016) |
| \emph{Extending R}, |
| Chapman & Hall. |
| (Chapters 9 and 10.) |
| |
| Chambers, John M. (2008) |
| \emph{Software for Data Analysis: Programming with R} |
| Springer. (Chapter 10 has some additional details.) |
| |
| } |
| \author{ |
| R Core Team |
| |
| Maintainer: R Core Team \email{R-core@r-project.org} |
| } |
| \keyword{ package } |
| \keyword{ methods } |