Single-Letter Port Names

[Eric van Gyzen]

Christopher Vance wrote:
> On Mon, Apr 19, 2004 at 08:26:56PM -0400, Eric van Gyzen wrote:
> >prebuilt R packages, but it's annoying to mangle the port name just for a
> >runtime-adjustable default paper size.  The name "R" would seem so much
> >cleaner.  Those who need A4 size paper can build the port accordingly, or
> >adjust it after a package has been installed.
>
> If you're reducing this to a single package, please do not have it
> default to *any* size, but require all users to set their size by some
> means at install or run time.  An environment variable in /etc/profile
> (or similar) should be good enough for this, and could possibly
> benefit other ports too.

I mistyped my previous email.  I intended to write, ``Those who need "letter" 
size paper can...''  There quite obviously has to be /some/ default; the R 
developers chose A4, and my port does not change it.  The PAPERSIZE 
environment variable is honored at compile time, as is the R_PAPERSIZE 
variable at runtime.

> Many of us hate the parochial assumption that the standard paper size
> in almost every country in the world should be ignored in favour of
> the one used in less than a handful.

As do I.

Eric

-- 
Eric van Gyzen                        Sr. Systems Programmer
http://www.stat.duke.edu/~vangyzen/   ISDS, Duke University