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Resolve contradictory guidance on '.' in function names - #181

Merged
lshep merged 2 commits into
Bioconductor:develfrom
ybaeus:fix/r-code-dot-naming-rule
Aug 19, 2026
Merged

Resolve contradictory guidance on '.' in function names#181
lshep merged 2 commits into
Bioconductor:develfrom
ybaeus:fix/r-code-dot-naming-rule

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@ybaeus ybaeus commented Aug 18, 2026

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The naming bullets said both:

  • Do not use '.' (in the S3 class system, some(x) where x is class A will dispatch to some.A).
  • Prefix non-exported functions with a '.'.

Read together these contradict each other, and a reader following the first bullet literally cannot follow the second. The intent is that the restriction applies to exported names, where a dot risks colliding with S3 dispatch, while a leading dot on an internal helper is the conventional way to mark it non-exported.

Merged into a single bullet stating both the rule and its exception.

The naming bullets said both:

  * Do not use '.' (in the S3 class system, some(x) where x is class A
    will dispatch to some.A).
  * Prefix non-exported functions with a '.'.

Read together these contradict each other, and a reader following the
first bullet literally cannot follow the second. The intent is that the
restriction applies to exported names, where a dot risks colliding with
S3 dispatch, while a leading dot on an internal helper is the
conventional way to mark it non-exported.

Merged into a single bullet stating both the rule and its exception.
@lshep
lshep merged commit 537855a into Bioconductor:devel Aug 19, 2026
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2 participants