detach                 package:base                 R Documentation

_D_e_t_a_c_h _O_b_j_e_c_t_s _f_r_o_m _t_h_e _S_e_a_r_c_h _P_a_t_h

_D_e_s_c_r_i_p_t_i_o_n:

     Detach a database, i.e., remove it from the 'search()' path of
     available R objects.  Usually, this is either a 'data.frame' which
     has been 'attach'ed or a package which was required previously.

_U_s_a_g_e:

     detach(name, pos = 2, unload = FALSE)

_A_r_g_u_m_e_n_t_s:

    name: The object to detach.  Defaults to 'search()[pos]'. This can
          be an unquoted name or a character string but _not_ a
          character vector.  If a number is supplied this is taken as
          'pos'. 

     pos: Index position in 'search()' of database to detach.  When
          'name' is a number, 'pos = name' is used. 

  unload: A logical value indicating whether or not to attempt to
          unload the namespace and S4 methods when a package is being
          detached.  If the package has a namespace and 'unload' is
          'TRUE', then 'detach' will attempt to unload the namespace
          and remove any S4 methods defined by the package.  If the
          namespace is in use or 'unload' is 'FALSE', no unloading will
          occur. 

_D_e_t_a_i_l_s:

     This most commonly used with a single number argument referring to
     a position on the search list, and can also be used with a
     unquoted or quoted name of an item on the search list such as
     'package:tools'.

     If a package has a namespace, detaching it does not by default
     unload the namespace (and may not even with 'unload=TRUE'), and
     detaching will not in general unload any dynamically loaded
     compiled code (DLLs).  Further, registered S3 methods from the
     namespace will not be removed.  If you use 'library' on a package
     whose name space is loaded, it attaches the exports of the loaded
     name space. So detaching and re-attaching a package may not
     refresh some or all components of the package, and is inadvisable.

_V_a_l_u_e:

     The attached database is returned invisibly, either as
     'data.frame' or as 'list'.

_N_o_t_e:

     You cannot detach either the workspace (position 1) or the 'base'
     package (the last item in the search list).

_R_e_f_e_r_e_n_c_e_s:

     Becker, R. A., Chambers, J. M. and Wilks, A. R. (1988) _The New S
     Language_. Wadsworth & Brooks/Cole.

_S_e_e _A_l_s_o:

     'attach', 'library', 'search', 'objects', 'unloadNamespace',
     'library.dynam.unload' .

_E_x_a_m_p_l_e_s:

     require(splines) # package
     detach(package:splines)
     ## could equally well use detach("package:splines")
     ## but NOT  pkg <- "package:splines"; detach(pkg)
     ## Instead, use
     library(splines)
     pkg <- "package:splines"
     detach(pos = match(pkg, search()))

     ## careful: do not do this unless 'splines' is not already loaded.
     library(splines)
     detach(2) # 'pos' used for 'name'

     ## an example of the name argument to attach
     ## and of detaching a database named by a character vector
     attach_and_detach <- function(db, pos=2)
     {
        name <- deparse(substitute(db))
        attach(db, pos=pos, name=name)
        print(search()[pos])
        eval(substitute(detach(n), list(n=name)))
     }
     attach_and_detach(women, pos=3)

