cacheDir: Path to (package) cache directory
In Require: Installing and Loading R Packages for Reproducible Workflows

cacheDir

R Documentation

Path to (package) cache directory

Description

cacheDir() returns Require's own scratch directory (SHA database, available.packages snapshots, mirrors.csv, pkgDep cache); cachePkgDir() returns the package binary tarball cache.

Usage

cacheDir(create, verbose = getOption("Require.verbose"))

cachePkgDir(create)

Arguments

`create`	A logical indicating whether the path should be created if it does not exist. Default is `FALSE`.
`verbose`	Numeric or logical indicating how verbose should the function be. If -1 or -2, then as little verbosity as possible. If 0 or FALSE, then minimal outputs; if `1` or TRUE, more outputs; `2` even more. NOTE: in `Require` function, when `verbose >= 2`, also returns details as if `returnDetails = TRUE` (for backwards compatibility).

Value

A path string. When create = TRUE, the directory is created (with a README placed in cacheDir()'s root if absent); otherwise the function just returns what the path would be.

What goes where

Function	What it holds	Default location	Knob
`cacheDir()`	Require-internal bookkeeping (SHA DB, mirrors.csv, pkgDep cache)	`tools::R_user_dir("Require", "cache")`	`R_REQUIRE_CACHE`
`cachePkgDir()`	Package binary tarballs	pak's `cache_summary()$cachepath` (pak mode)	`R_USER_CACHE_DIR` (via pak)
`cachePkgDir()`	Package binary tarballs	`⁠<cacheDir>/packages/<Rver>⁠` (legacy)	`R_REQUIRE_CACHE`

Both defaults flow from tools::R_user_dir(), so setting ⁠R_USER_CACHE_DIR=/some/path⁠ in .Renviron redirects both caches to sibling subdirectories of ⁠/some/path/R/⁠ – pak's cache lands in ⁠pkgcache/pkg/⁠, Require's in ⁠Require/⁠. That's the one-knob way to set up a shared cache across machines or R versions.

How `cachePkgDir()` changes with `usePak`

getOption("Require.usePak", TRUE) (default): Thin wrapper over pak::cache_summary()$cachepath. The directory is owned by pak/pkgcache; location is controlled by R_USER_CACHE_DIR (read at pak's subprocess spawn time). Default: tools::R_user_dir("pkgcache", "cache")/pkg.
usePak = FALSE (legacy): Returns ⁠<cacheDir>/packages/<Rver>⁠, controlled by R_REQUIRE_CACHE.

Require-internal bookkeeping files always live next to the legacy path (⁠<cacheDir>/packages/<Rver>⁠) regardless of usePak – pak doesn't know about them and would treat them as stray files.

Deprecations

The following Require-specific knobs and helpers were folded into the pair above. Each is still functional for one release cycle and emits a deprecation warning when used.

Deprecated	Use instead
`cacheGetOptionCachePkgDir()`	`cachePkgDir()`
`rpackageFolder()` (internal)	(inlined into `checkLibPaths()`)
`purgeCache()`	`cachePurge()`
`clearRequirePackageCache()`	`cacheClearPackages()`
`options("Require.cachePkgDir")`	`R_USER_CACHE_DIR` env var
`Sys.getenv("R_REQUIRE_PKG_CACHE")`	`R_USER_CACHE_DIR` env var