NEWS

Update History for Package 'lessR'




>>>>>> Changes for lessR version 2.3 (2012-06-10)} <<<<<<


------------
Overview 2.3
------------

Naming Conventions
------------------
All data analysis functions now have two names, a longer, more descriptive name, that
involves uppercase letters, such as Summary Stats, and a short abbreviation, here ss.
Either version is equivalent. The purpose of the uppercase letters is to distinguish
lessR functions from the standard R functions with similar names.  When appropriate,
functions can also have an abbreviation such as brief to indicate a briefer form of
output, here ss.brief.

Color Themes
------------
Using the new set function, the colors options sets the system wide color theme.
The default is "blue" and several other colors are available, including gray scale 
with "gray". The colors option may also applied to any one specific graphic
function call to set the color theme just for that one resulting graph.

Transparency for plotting individual points with Plot is also available with the 
trans.pts option, from 0 to 1, with a 0 being opaque and a 1 being fully 
transparent. The trans.pts option may be set with the set function for all
subsequent analyses, or it may be set for any one specific call to Plot.

Direct Reference of Variable Names (from 2.2)
----------------------------------
lessR defaults the name of the data frame with data read from the Read or rad 
function with mydata. Now this convention is leveraged by dropping the need for the
R attach function, or by having to include the data frame name and a $ in front of
the variable name, or using the with function. Instead, for each specified variable
name, lessR searches the user's workspace, the global environment, as well as the
data frame mydata, or the specified data frame name, for the relevant variable.

Variable Labels (from 2.2)
---------------
lessR functions now can access variable labels, which will replace the variable 
names on the axis labels for graphic output, and be displayed adjacent to the 
variable names on text output.  Use the labels function to access the variable
labels for standard R functions.  See help(Read) for directions on how to enter
the variable labels.

Improved Appearance of Graphs
-----------------------------
In addition to the new color themes, the appearance of the graphs has been changed
to print the values along each scale of an axis is a smaller font and a shade of
gray instead of black.


-----------------
New Functions 2.3
-----------------

Model, model
  Function for a linear analysis, which automatically calls the relevant function -- 
    ttest, ANOVA or Regression -- and therefore replaces those functions from the
    user's perspective.

set
  Created as a wrapper for options(colors="xxx") added for graphics routines to 
   specify a color theme.
      
to
  Created to generate variable name lists with sequential numbers when reading
    data into R such as from a csv data file.


-----------
Updates 2.3
-----------
Help, hlp
  updated help window opens when lessR is loaded

Read, rad
  Add option for reading native R data files
  SuppressWarnings to avoid warning message on read.csv for Excel csv files with no
    last <cr>
  SuppressWarnings on SPSS files to avoid "Unrecognized record type 7"

Write, wrt
  Add option for writing native R data files
  Automatically add a file type, either .csv or .rda

ttest, tt
  Also do analysis of not assuming equal variances.
  Set extra decimal digit for analysis from stats (already set from data)
  By default, at least two decimal digits
  Added consistent formatting to numerical output according to digits.d
  Two-group density graph has density scaling removed from y-axis
  Two-group density graph has smaller font sizes and margin adjustment

BarChart, bc
  Brief stat output now the default, bc.brief removed
  Add error condition of not having col.bars and colors both activated
  Add colors="gray" option and bc.gray
  Display tick marks and tick labels in dark gray

Histogram, hst
  Add vertical grid in addition to existing horizontal grid
  Add colors="gray" option and hst.gray
  Display tick marks and tick labels in dark gray

DotPlot, dp
  Add colors="gray" option and dots.gray
  Display tick marks and tick labels in dark gray

Density, dens
  Remove horizontal grid, leaving no grid
  Add colors="gray" option and dens.gray
  Display tick marks and tick labels in dark gray

Plot, plt
  Add colors="gray" option and plt.gray expression
  Display tick marks and tick labels in dark gray
  Add ncut to treat x as a factor if too few unique data values
  When x is a factor, now do summary stats of y by each level of x
  Run chart now lists n and n.missing
  Scatterplot matrix and correlation matrix added for a data frame

Regression, reg
  3D scatterplot optional for two predictor variables instead of required
  The colors setting applies to reg graphs

BoxPlot, bx
  Consistent formatting of text output with default decimal digits

Correlation, cr
  Correlation routine pulled from plt and made its own function
  The version cr.brief added
  Correlation matrix of a data frame added

RunChart, rc
  old access was Plot with one variable, which now produces a dot plot

prob.norm
  now returns the probability in the console like R pnorm function

qnt.t
  renamed from prob.t as it is the quantile that is returned
  now returns the quantile in the console like R qt function


-------------
Bug Fixes 2.3
-------------

system wide
  a variable named with the name of an R function is now permissible

ttest, tt
  bug fix: Analysis from summary statistics does not need a mydata data frame 
           to exist prior to the function call
  bug fix: Variable labels no longer switched on response and grouping variables
  bug fix: Labels now work with one group analysis
  bug fix: Properly align group1 and group2 output to the user's workspace
           with the correct group

Plot, plt
  bug fix: Run plot failed if missing data
  bug fix: Plot with factor on x-axis failed plot of means if missing data
  bug fix: If missing data, do not try ellipse which fails
  bug fix: For bubble plot, x-axis now has proper scale

Summary Statistics, ss
  bug fix: The null graphic window no longer opened

BoxPlot, bx
  bug fix: When doing a dot plot, colors did not transfer from bx






>>>>>> Changes for lessR version 2.2 (2012-03-28)} <<<<<<


-----------------
New Functions 2.2
-----------------


sim.CLT 
  Simulation for Central Limit Theorem

sim.flips 
  Simulation of coin flips

sim.CImean
  Simulation of confidence interval

sim.means 
  Simulation of repeated sampling of means

prob.t 
  Probabilities of t-distribution


-----------
Updates 2.2
-----------

Note:  The following long form names are not valid as function calls until Version 2.3.

graphics routines
  Font for scale values along each axis smaller and in a dark gray

ttest, tt
  Rewrite to allow one or two groups, data or summary stats
  Allow missing data
  Restore graphic parameters so top margin of graphics window not too large
  tt.brief option added

BarChart, bc
  Count.names option for reading counts directly from a data file with counts
  Smaller font for legend and no legend border to better display
  Smaller font for axis values
  For horizontal plots, horizontal labels and accommodate space in left margin
  bc.brief added, brief=FALSE is new default for bc

Histogram, hst
  Smaller font for scale

Plot, plt
  Smaller font for legend and no legend border for 2 variables to better display
  Provide covariance coefficient

Summary Statistics, ss
  ss.brief added

Correlation, cr
  Provide covariance coefficient

Density, dens [now den in 2.3]
  Provide densities on vertical axis as an option instead of a requirement

Read, rad 
  Read spss (.sav) files in addition to csv data files
  For rad.both, have labels display correctly

prob.norm [normal curve probabilities]
  Only give normal densities on vertical axis as an option
  Add second x axis, z-scores
  Make vertical, density, axis as an option
  Scale axis labels to .9, add mag option

prob.znorm [normal curve display with z-scores]
  Default y-axis to null, add as an option
  Add z-values as a default
  Scale x-axis according to standard deviations
  Scale axis labels to .9, add mag (magnify) option

stats.t.test
  Removed, incorporated into ttest which now processes data from 
    summary statistics or the data


-------------
Bug Fixes 2.2
-------------

Regression, reg
  bug fix:  If residual is 0, Nan's lead to missing data no longer causes 
           Cook's distance function, and therefore the entire function, to fail






>>>>>> Changes for lessR version 2.1 (2012-02-08)} <<<<<<


-----------------
New Functions 2.1
-----------------

dots  [in 2.3 rename to DotPlot, dp]
  created the function

pieplot [in 2.3 rename to PieChart, pc]
  created the function


-----------
Updates 2.1 
-----------

package
  add citation
  all lessR functions that read data have attach requirement removed
  relevant lessR functions have automatic use of variable labels
  variable labels function label

rad   [in 2.3 also named Read]
  display name of file read at the beginning of the output only if rad()
  default is now to not attach mydata
  add read labels options with rad.labels and rad.both
  add max.lines options and display full data/labels when applicable
  convert display option to brief option, add function

reg  [in 2.3 also named Regression]
  add error check for no data frame, which is required
  for Background, specify number of obs retained for analysis
  add references
  add variable labels to Background section where variables are listed
  add reg.brief and reg.explain methods
  reformat Basic Analysis output to print all values individually
  if a non-numeric variable in model, then do not attempt scatterplot matrix
  if a non-numeric variable in model, then no scatter.3d plot

plt  [in 2.3 also named Plot]
  in title, use actual variable names instead of "x and y"
  loess fit line replaces lowess, along with access to loess span parameter
  use dates from an existing time series
  add missing data count
  put error traps for calling with the wrong data types

barchart  [in 2.3 rename to BarChart, bc]
  reformat output to much more compact
  for UseMethod, evaluate class of 1st attribute only to avoid a warning
  add a y-axis label
  get border option to work and change name to col.border
  properly switch axis labels if horiz=TRUE
  add warning message for beside option off with only a single variable
  add warning message if addtop set for a horizontal bar graph
  make chisq the default, and reformat output
  put the variable names on the tables for row and column proportions
  re-scale bar width for 2, 3 or 4 bars, from 1 var or stacked 2 var
  get vivid option to work for gradient applied to ordinal data
  for vertical graphs of two vars, make legend horizontal with addtop room
  for data frame, numeric data types of few unique values treated as categorical
  for data frame, add dev.off() when finished with graphs
  enhanced the color palettes with R palettes of rainbow, heat and terrain
  make stacked chart for two variables the default

smooth  [in 2.3 rename to Density, den]
  add bw parameter
  make no density axis the default, but add y.axis to include if desired
  add normality test
  allow for missing data
  change col.hist to col.bars
  get color of the plotted curves working

histogram  [in 2.3 rename to Histogram, hst] 
  move Number of Bins output next to freq dist, add Bin Width
  summary statistics and label now with describe.numeric
  scientific notation turned off for histogram plot
  col and border options renamed to col.bars and col.border
  summary stats now provided
  for data frame, numeric data types of few unique values treated as categorical
  for error message regarding bin range, turn off scientific notation

boxp   [in 2.3 rename to BoxPlot, bp] 
  add values of outliers to text output
  adjust axis labels for vertical box plot
  provide for default colored background and grid lines

describe [in 2.3 rename to SummaryStats, ss]
  formula input changed to by= option
  output reformatted to much more compact, and extended
  outlier detection added to description of numerical variables
  if too many values, then just report counts
  if all values unique, just report the values and a note as an ID field
  for numeric, if digits.d > 10, output size changed to 4 with prompt to override
  for data frame, numeric data types of few unique values treated as categorical
  add skewness, kurtosis
  add a brief=TRUE option, which works for both numeric and categorical variables

smd.t.test  [in 2.3 rename ttest,tt]
  add brief option and function

stats.t.test [in 2.3 incorporated into ttest]
  add one-sample option
  by default resolve number of digits from precision of entered stats

help.me  [in 2.3 now named Help, hlp]
  update color.hist [in 2.3 Histogram, hst] description


-------------
Bug Fixes 2.1
-------------

plt  [in 2.3 also named Plot]
  bug fix: missing data caused an error in bubble plot

reg  [in 2.3 also named Regression]
  bug fix:  allow missing data

