Hi, im trying to instal bioconductor using the default getBioC() command from within R, and i keep getting alot of the following error messages: Note: No specified download type, defaulting to Source is this normal?? Kind regards Sam -- ---------- Samuel Lattimore Ph.D Postdoctoral Fellow Cancer Research UK Molecular Oncology Unit 8th Floor Cyclotron Building Hammersmith Hospital Du Cane Road London W12 0HS UK ---------- email: Sam.Lattimore@Cancer.org.uk Tel: 00 44 (0)20 8383 8596 Fax: 00 44 (0)20 8383 3258 ----------

> im trying to instal bioconductor using the default getBioC() command from > within R, and i keep getting alot of the following error messages: > Note: No specified download type, defaulting to Source There is no error message there. It doesn't say "Error:" it says "Note:". That means it is a note to the user, not that it is an error, as when one uses the stop() command. > is this normal?? Yes, it means that you didn't specify a download type (source, win32, etc), so it was defaulting to the type that it thought you needed (in this case, Source). -J

On Tue, Oct 14, 2003 at 11:18:13AM -0700, Richard Finney wrote: > I think you hit the nail on the head there. > > The message says : > "No specified download type, defaulting to > Source". Which is fine for the guy who > wrote the code or a jaded users who have seen it > all before. First time users would completely > grok a simpler message much like what you just said : > "you didn't specify a download > type (source, win32, etc), so we are defaulting to the > type that we think you need (in this case, > 'Source')". > > A lot of bioconductor/affy problems could be cleared > up > and lot of confusion could be minimized with just a > little more clear, friendly text in the messages. > Thanks Rich, and (at least here) it is taken as such. Please do note though, that the writing of error messages is somewhat straight forward and you (and others) certainly can write them, submit patches and contribute to the project. There is no reason to leave that to the original author this is all open source and the end product depends on the community as well as the developer. Let me also say that from a developers perspective, we have very limited time, we are not writing commericial software and we pretty much all have our own research agendas. We try to combine that with making our software user friendly etc, but if user friendly counts for a lot, there is a company in Seattle that provides you with that, for a modest fee. Robert > This is meant as useful criticism. I think some > of the developers are missing the forest for the > trees here. The error messages are too short > and need to be dumbed down. Suggesting remedial > action > would be good too. An occoasional "wait a minute > while we contact [URL]" would help too. > > just some thoughts. > > -rich > > _______________________________________________ > Bioconductor mailing list > Bioconductor@stat.math.ethz.ch > https://www.stat.math.ethz.ch/mailman/listinfo/bioconductor -- +--------------------------------------------------------------------- ------+ | Robert Gentleman phone : (617) 632-5250 | | Associate Professor fax: (617) 632-2444 | | Department of Biostatistics office: M1B20 | | Harvard School of Public Health email: rgentlem@jimmy.harvard.edu | +--------------------------------------------------------------------- ------+