roxygen2 and RStudio, not creating the documentation for the functions

Question

I am trying to add documentation via roxygen2 in a package. I am able to create the packag successfully and on load able to use the functions too. Here is my understanding of how to do it, I create an empty R-Package project on RStudio and then have a source file named "getSomething.R". The contents are the following,

#' Test function to ask on stackoverflow
#' 
#' \code{getSomething} Does something to get something.
#' 
#' @param a param 1
#' @param b param 2
#' 
#'

getSomething <- function(a,b){
  return(a*b)
}

Now, I build and load the package which should ideally, create the package with .Rd file in the /man folder and also come up on doing "?getSomething". But nothing comes up on using the command nor are the Rd files created. Am I missing something here? In my original project, I have some dependent packages which I have added.

Following is the decription file,

Package: testPackage
Type: Package
Title: Learn how to use roxygen2.
Version: 1.0.1
Date: 2014-11-27
Author: amj2403
Maintainer: amj2403 <emailid>
Description: Write something here
License: NA
Depends:
    R (>= 3.0.0),
    rjson,
    futile.logger,
    RCurl

Also the NAMESPACE file,

exportPattern("^[[:alpha:]]+"

I think I am missing some vital step.

Geomancy

Have you configured the RStudio project to "Generate documentation with Roxygen"? – Toy

@Toy Yes I have. As of now, I run the oxygenize("package name") before building it and it works fine. But I was thinking it should work otherwise too. – Geomancy

When you configured it to generate documentation with roxygen, did you click through to "Configure" and set the "Automatically roygxenise when running:" fields? – Preamble

@Geomancy gotcha. Will add it as an answer. – Preamble

Answer 1

The default in RStudio, when you enable roxygen2, is to roxygenise everything on package builds and R CMD CHECK but not on "build and reload". To enable that, go to Project Options -> Build Tools. Then click the "Configure" button next to "Generate documentation with Roxygen" and tick the "Build & Reload" box.

Preamble

Answer 2

Sometimes RStudio would not display the checkbox "Generate documentation with Roxygen" at all. If this is the case, in R Console type library(roxygen2) and it will suddenly appear.

I wish default would be to mandate loading of it and enabling it.

Standpoint

Answer 3

I had the same problem while making a package with devtools. I just needed to run devtools::document() to create the help files.

Deuteronomy