vignettes/list-checks.md

In pkgcheck: Package Checks for 'rOpenSci'

Current pkgcheck checks

The following checks are currently implemented in the pkgcheck package. Several of these are by default only shown when they fail; absence from a resultant checklist may be interpreted to indicate successful checks.

1. pkgchk_branch_is_master

Ensure that default GitHub branch is not “master”

The $info$git$branch value is taken by default from GitHub as long as “DESCRIPTION” has a remote URL. It is only taken from local git if not remote GitHub URL can be identified.`

2. pkgchk_fns_have_exs

Check whether all functions have examples.

3. pkgchk_fns_have_return_vals

Check that all functions document their return values.

The reflects a CRAN checks for all new submissions, to ensure that return values are documented for all functions. This check applies even to functions which are called for their side effects and return NULL.

4. pkgchk_has_citation

Check whether a package has a inst/CITATION file.

“CITATION” files are required for all rOpenSci packages, as documented in our “Packaging Guide. This does not check the contents of that file in any way.

5. pkgchk_has_contrib_md

Check whether package has contributor guidelines in a ‘contributing’ file.

A “contributing” file is required for all rOpenSci packages, as documented in our “Contributing Guide.

6. pkgchk_license

Check whether the package license is acceptable.

Details of acceptable licenses are provided in the links in our Packaging Guide.

7. pkgchk_lintr

Check for failed lintr checks in the package.

This function runs all available lintr_* checks from the package on the target package and returns the names of any failed checks.

8. pkgchk_no_r_subdir

Check that R directory is flat, with no sub-directories.

9. pkgchk_num_imports

Check numbers of package dependencies (‘Imports’)

10. pkgchk_obsolete_pkg_deps

Check whether the package depends on any obsolete packages for which better alternative should be used.

The list of obsolete packages is given in our Packaging Guide. Some of these are truly obsolete, the use of which raises a red cross in the summary of checks; while others are only potentially obsolete, thus use of which merely raises a note in the detailed check output.

11. pkgchk_on_cran

Check whether a package is on CRAN or not.

This does not currently appear in any ‘pkgcheck’ output (that is, neither in summary or print methods), and is only used as part of pkcchk_pkgname_available.

12. pkgchk_has_orcid

Check if authors have ORCID IDs

13. pkgchk_has_ror

Check whether any instutitions listed as role = "fnd" have RORs

14. pkgchk_pkgdown

If >= 10 ‘.Rd’ files, check that ’_pkdown.yml’ has a reference grouping.

15. pkgchk_pkgname_available

Check that package name is available and/or already on CRAN.

16. pkgchk_renv_activated

For packages which use ‘renv’, check that it is de-activated.

Although we do not generally recommend ‘renv’ for package developement, packages may use it. They must, however, ensure that renv is deactivated.

17. pkgchk_repo_has_website

Check that GitHub repository lists an associated website

18. pkgchk_repo_not_fork

Check that GitHub repository is not a fork.

19. pkgchk_has_scrap

Check whether the package contains any useless files like .DS_Store.

Files currently considered “scrap” are:

1. “.DS_Store”
2. “Thumbs.db”
3. “.vscode”
4. “.o” files

20. pkgchk_unique_fn_names

Check whether all function names are unique.

Uses the database of function names from all CRAN packages associated with releases of the pkgstats package.

21. pkgchk_has_url

Check that a package ‘DESCRIPTION’ file lists a valid URL.

22. pkgchk_has_bugs

Check that a package ‘DESCRIPTION’ file lists a valid URL in the “BugReports” field.

23. pkgchk_uses_dontrun

Check if examples use \dontrun{}

This check identifies functions in the package documentation that have examples using \dontrun{}. The use of \dontrun{} is discouraged by CRAN and should only be used the example really cannot be executed (e.g. because of missing additional software, missing API keys, …) by the user. Instead use methods to run the examples conditionally, such as with the @examplesIf() roxygen tag.

24. pkgchk_uses_roxygen2

Check whether all documntation has been generated by ‘roxygen2’

Use of ‘roxygen2’ to generate package documnetation is mandatory for rOpenSci packages, and is described in detail in our Packaging Guide.

25. pkgchk_has_vignette

Check whether the package contains at least one vignette.

26. pkgchk_left_assign

Check that left-assignment operators are used consistently throughout a package.

Left-assign operators recognised by R are: (“=”, “\<-”, “\<\<-”, “:=”), as defined in the main grammar definition. This actually checks the following two conditions:

1. Check that any “global assignment operators” (“\<\<-”) are only used in appropriate contexts; and
2. Check that all left-assignment operators are consistent, so either all use “=”, or all use “\<-”, but do not mix these two symbols.

The := operator is ignored in these checks.

27. pkgchk_srr_okay

Check that ‘srr’ documentation for statistics pacakges is complete.

Procedures for preparing and submitting statistical packages are described in our “Stats Dev Guide”. Statistical packages must use the ‘srr’ (software review roclets) package to document compliance with our statistical standards. This check uses the srr::srr_stats_pre_submit() function to confirm that compliance with all relevant standards has been documented.

28. pkgchk_ci_badges

Get all CI badges from a repository, and check that jobs currently pass.

This extracts badges directly from README files. If none are found and a repo is GitHub, then an additional function is called to check CI status directly from GitHub workflow files.

pkgcheck documentation built on Oct. 13, 2026, 5:06 p.m.