track.copy: Copy or move objects from one tracking db to another
In track: Store Objects on Disk Automatically

Description Usage Arguments Details Value Author(s) Examples

Copy or move objects from one tracking db to another.

track.copy(from, to = 1, list = NULL, pattern = NULL, glob = NULL, delete = FALSE,
           clobber = FALSE, skipExisting = FALSE, verbose = TRUE, do.untrackable = FALSE)
track.move(from, to = 1, list = NULL, pattern = NULL, glob = NULL, delete = TRUE,
           clobber = FALSE, skipExisting = FALSE, verbose = TRUE, do.untrackable = FALSE)

`from`	The position on the search list of the source db. Can be numeric or the name as returned by `search()`. Can be a vector, in which case the action is repeated for each element of `from`.
`to`	The position on the search list of the destination db. Can be numeric or the name as returned by `search()`.
`list`	A character vector of the objects to copy or move
`pattern`	A regular expression specifying the objects to copy or move
`glob`	A glob specifying the objects to copy or move
`delete`	Should the objects in the source db be removed? The default is `FALSE` for `track.copy` and `TRUE` for `track.move`.
`clobber`	Should the objects in the destination db be overwritten?
`skipExisting`	If `TRUE`, skip objects where an object of the same name already exists in the destination db .
`verbose`	If `TRUE`, write out what is being done.
`do.untrackable`	If `TRUE`, also copy untrackable objects. Not yet implemented.

track.copy copies objects by copying their underlying files from the source tracking db to the destination tracking db (behavior for untracked or untrackable objects is different – see below). It also copies the object summary (preserving modification times etc.) Objects are not loaded in R when copied, and if a copied object is cached in the source or destination db, the cached copy will be removed.

The readonly status of both tracking dbs will be respected – the function will stop with an error before doing anything if a readonly flag conflicts with what it needs to do.

The metadata in source and destination tracking dbs (i.e., the file map and the object summary) are updated after each object is copied. Thus, if an error occurs during copying, e.g., due to filesystem permissions or lack of space, the source and destination dbs will be left in a consistent state.

track.move calls track.copy with a default of delete=TRUE to remove the source object.

NB: do.untrackable is not yet implemented: untracked/untrackable objects are ignored. By default, untrackable objects in the source tracking db will not be copied or moved, and a warning will be given. The rules for untrackability are those of the destination db, as specified by the tracking options autoTrackExcludePattern and autoTrackExcludeClass in that db. If do.untrackable=TRUE, untrackable objects will be copied or moved (with delete still controlling whether the original is left or removed.) Untrackable objects that are copied are left as an ordinary untracked object in the destination db.

A character vector of the objects copied or moved.

Tony Plate <tplate@acm.org>

##############################################################
# Warning: running this example will cause variables currently
# in the R global environment to be written to .RData files
# in a tracking database on the filesystem under R's temporary
# directory, and will cause the variables to be removed temporarily
# from the R global environment.
# It is recommended to run this example with a fresh R session
# with no important variables in the global environment.
##############################################################

library(track)
# Track two environments and transfer objects from one to the other.
# Use tmp dirs for the tracking dbs.
track.start(dir=file.path(tempdir(), 'rdatadir2'))
track.attach(dir=file.path(tempdir(), 'rdatadir3'), pos=2, create=TRUE)
assign("x1", 1, pos=2)
assign("x2", 2, pos=2)
assign("y3", 3, pos=2)
assign("y4", 4, pos=2)
assign("z5", 5)
track.status(1)
track.status(2)
track.copy(from=2, pat="^x", clobber=TRUE)
ls(1)
ls(2)
track.move(from=2, pat="^y", clobber=TRUE)
track.move(from=1, to=2, pat="^z", clobber=TRUE)
ls(1)
ls(2)
c(x1, x2, y3, y4)
track.move(from=2, pat="^x", clobber=TRUE)
ls(1)
ls(2)
c(x1, x2, y3, y4)
track.status(1)
track.status(2)
track.detach(2)
# Would normally not call track.stop(), but do so here to clean up after
# running this example.
track.stop(keepVars=TRUE)