The R Project SVN R

\name{help}
\title{Online Documentation}
\usage{
help(topic, package = .packages(), lib.loc = .lib.loc)

?topic
}
\alias{help}
\alias{?}
\arguments{
 \item{topic}{a name or character string on which documentation is
  sought.}
 \item{package}{a name or character vector giving the packages to look
  into for documentation.  By default, all packages in the search path
  are used.}
 \item{lib.loc}{A character vector of directory names of \R libraries.
  Defaults to all libraries currently known.}
}
\description{
These functions provide online access to documentation. 
Documentation on a topic with name \code{name} (typically, an \R object or
a data set) can be printed on-screen with either \code{help(name)} or
\code{?name}.
In the case of unary and binary operators and control-flow special
forms, the name may need to be be quoted.
}
\seealso{
\code{\link{help.start}()} which opens the HTML version of the \R Manual;
\code{\link{library}} for listing available packages and the user-level
objects they contain;
\code{\link{data}} for listing available data sets;
\code{\link{methods}}.
}
\examples{
help()                       
help(help)                   # the same

help(lapply)
?lapply                      # the same

help("for")                  # or ?"for", but the quotes are needed
?"+"

data()                       # list all available data sets
?women                       # information about data set "women"
}