NAME

       Statistics::R::REXP - base class for R objects ("SEXP"s)

VERSION

       version 1.0002

SYNOPSIS

           use Statistics::R::REXP;

           # we usually get REXPs from an RDS file:
           my $rexp = Statistics::R::IO::readRDS('file.rds');

           # REXPs are stringifiable
           say $rexp;

           # REXPs can be converted to the closest native Perl data type
           print $rexp->to_pl;

DESCRIPTION

       An object of this class represents a native R object. This class cannot be directly
       instantiated (it will die if you call "new" on it), because it is intended as a base
       abstract class with concrete subclasses to represent specific object types.

       An R object has a value and an optional set of named attributes, which themselves are R
       objects. Because the meaning of 'value' depends on the actual object type (for example, a
       vector vs. a "NULL", in R terminology), "REXP" does not provide a generic value accessor
       method, although individual subclasses will typically have one.

METHODS

       attributes
           Returns a hash reference to the object's attributes.

       sexptype
           Returns the name of the corresponding R SEXP type, as listed in SEXPTYPE
           <http://cran.r-project.org/doc/manuals/r-release/R-ints.html#SEXPTYPEs>.

       to_pl
           Returns Perl representation of the object's value. This is an abstract method; see
           concrete subclasses for the value returned by specific object types, as well as the
           way to access the R (-ish) value of the object, if such makes sense.

       is_null
           Returns TRUE if the object is an R "NULL" object. In "REXP"'s class hierarchy, this is
           the case only for "Statistics::REXP::Null".

       is_vector
           Returns TRUE if the object is an R vector object. In "REXP"'s class hierarchy, this is
           the case only for "Statistics::REXP::Vector" and its descendants.

       inherits CLASS_NAME
           Returns TRUE if the object is an instance of R S3-style class "CLASS_NAME", in the
           same fashion as the R function "base::inherits <http://stat.ethz.ch/R-manual/R-
           patched/library/base/html/class.html>".

OVERLOADS

       "REXP" overloads the stringification, "eq" and "ne" methods; subclasses further specialize
       for their types if necesssary.

BUGS AND LIMITATIONS

       Classes in the "REXP" hierarchy are intended to be immutable. Please do not try to change
       their value or attributes.

       More "is_*" accessors should be added.

       There are no known bugs in this module. Please see Statistics::R::IO for bug reporting.

SUPPORT

       See Statistics::R::IO for support and contact information.

AUTHOR

       Davor Cubranic <cubranic@stat.ubc.ca>

COPYRIGHT AND LICENSE

       This software is Copyright (c) 2017 by University of British Columbia.

       This is free software, licensed under:

         The GNU General Public License, Version 3, June 2007