The R Project SVN R

% File src/library/methods/man/setSClass.Rd

% Part of the R package, http://www.R-project.org

% Copyright 1995-2007 R Core Team

% Distributed under GPL 2 or later

\name{makeClassRepresentation}

\alias{makeClassRepresentation}

\title{Create a Class Definition}

\description{

  Constructs an object of class \code{\linkS4class{classRepresentation}}

  to describe a particular class.  Mostly a utility function, but you can

  call it to create a class definition without assigning it, as

  \code{\link{setClass}} would do.

}

\usage{

makeClassRepresentation(name, slots=list(), superClasses=character(),

                        prototype=NULL, package, validity, access,

                        version, sealed, virtual=NA, where)

}

\arguments{

  \item{name}{character string name for the class}

  \item{slots}{named list of slot classes as would be supplied to

    \code{setClass}, but \emph{without} the unnamed arguments for

    superClasses if any.}

  \item{superClasses}{what classes does this class extend}

  \item{prototype}{an object providing the default data for the class,

    e.g, the result of a call to \code{\link{prototype}}.}

  \item{package}{The character string name for the package in which

    the class will be stored; see \code{\link{getPackageName}}.}

  \item{validity}{Optional validity method.  See

    \code{\link{validObject}}, and the discussion of validity methods in

    the reference.}

  \item{access}{Access information.  Not currently used.}

  \item{version}{Optional version key for version control.  Currently

    generated, but not used.}

  \item{sealed}{Is the class sealed? See \code{\link{setClass}}.}

  \item{virtual}{Is this known to be a virtual class?}

  \item{where}{The environment from which to look for class

      definitions needed (e.g., for slots or superclasses). See the

      discussion of this argument under \link{GenericFunctions}.}

}

\references{

 Chambers, John M. (2008)

 \emph{Software for Data Analysis: Programming with R}

  Springer.  (For the R version.)

 Chambers, John M. (1998)

 \emph{Programming with Data}

 Springer (For the original S4 version.)

}

\seealso{

  \code{\link{setClass}}

}

\keyword{programming}

\keyword{classes}