new_class() now automatically infers the package name when called from
within an R package (#459).
Improved error message when custom validators return invalid values (#454, #457).
New nameOfClass() method exported for S7 base classes, to enable usage like
inherits("foo", S7::class_character) (#432, #458)
Added support for more base/S3 classes (#434):
class_POSIXlt, class_POSIXt, class_formula,
class_call, class_language, class_name
Fixed S3 methods registration across packages (#422).
convert() now provides a default method to transform a parent class instance
into a subclass, enabling class construction from a prototype (#444).
The default object constructor returned by new_class() has been updated.
It now accepts lazy (promise) property defaults and includes dynamic properties
with a setter in the constructor. Additionally, all custom property setters
are now consistently invoked by the default constructor. If you're using S7 in
an R package, you'll need to re-document to ensure that your documentation
matches the updated usage (#438, #445).
Fixed an issue where a custom property getter() would infinitely recurse
when accessing itself (reported in #403, fixed in #406).
Property setting (via prop<- and @<-) rewritten in C for performance (#396).
Fixed a regression where validate() would not be called after a custom
property setter was invoked (reported in #393, fixed in #396).
When a method is not found, the error now has class S7_error_method_not_found.
The Ops generic now falls back to base Ops behaviour when one of the
arguments is not an S7 object (#320). This means that you get the somewhat
inconsistent base behaviour, but means that S7 doesn't introduce a new axis
of inconsistency.
In new_class(), properties can either be named by naming the element
of the list or by supplying the name argument to new_property() (#371).
super() now works with Ops methods (#357).
method() now generates an informative message when dispatch fails (#387).
S7 provides a new automatic backward compatibility mechanism to provide
a version of @ that works in R before version 4.3 (#326).
Can create multimethods that dispatch on NULL.
prop() optimized and rewritten in C (#395).
Classes get a more informative print method (#346).
Correctly register S3 methods for S7 objects with a package (#333).
External methods are now registered using an attribute of the S3 methods
table rather than an element of that environment. This prevents a warning
being generated during the "code/documentation mismatches" check in
R CMD check (#342).
class_missing and class_any can now be unioned with | (#337).
new_object() no longer accepts NULL as .parent.
new_object() now correctly runs the validator from abstract parent classes
(#329).
new_object() works better when custom property setters modify other
properties.
new_property() gains a validator argument that allows you to specify
a per-property validator (#275).
new_property() clarifies that it's the user's responsibility to return
the correct class; it is not automatically validated.
Properties with a custom setter are now validated after the setter has
run and are validated when the object is constructed or when you call
validate(), not just when you modify them after construction.
S7_inherits() now accepts class = NULL to test if an object is any
sort of S7 object (#347).
new_external_generic() is only needed when you want a soft dependency
on another package.
methods_register() now also registers S3 and S4 methods (#306).
Subclasses of abstract class can have readonly properties (#269).
During construction, validation is now only performed once for each element of the class hierarchy (#248).
Implemented a better filtering strategy for the S4 class hierarchy so you can now correctly dispatch on virtual classes (#252).
New set_props() to make a modified copy of an object (#229).
R CMD check now passes on R 3.5 and greater (for tidyverse
compatibility).
Dispatching on an evaluated argument no longer causes a crash (#254).
Improve method dispatch failure message (#231).
Can use | to create unions from S7 classes (#224).
Can no longer subclass an environment via class_environment because we
need to think the consequences of this behaviour through more fully (#253).
Add [.S7_object, [<-.S7_object, [[.S7_object, and [[<-.S7_object
methods to avoid "object of type 'S4' is not subsettable" error
(@jamieRowen, #236).
Combining S7 classes with c() now gives an error (#230)
Base classes now show as class_x instead of "x" in method print (#232)
Exported class_factor, class_Date, class_POSIXct, and
class_data.frame.
New S7_inherits() and check_is_S7() (#193)
new_class() can create abstract classes (#199).
method_call() is now S7_dispatch() (#200).
Can now register methods for double-dispatch base Ops (currently only works if both classes are S7, or the first argument is S7 and the second doesn't have a method for the Ops generic) (#128).
All built-in wrappers around base types use class_. You can no longer
refer to a base type with a string or a constructor function (#170).
convert() allows you to convert an object into another class (#136).
super() replaces next_method() (#110).
class_any and class_missing make it possible to dispatch on absent
arguments and arguments of any class (#67).
New method_explain() to explain dispatch (#194).
Minor property improvements: use same syntax for naming short-hand and full property specifications; input type automatically validated for custom setters. A property with a getter but no setter is read-only (#168).
When creating an object, unspecified properties are initialized with their
default value (#67). DISCUSS: to achieve this, the constructor arguments
default to class_missing.
Add $.S7_object and $<-.S7_object methods to avoid "object of type 'S4'
is not subsettable" error (#204).
Dispatch now disambiguates between S4 and S3/S7, and, optionally, between S7 classes in different packages (#48, #163).
new_generic() now requires dispatch_args (#180). This means that
new_generic() will typically be called without names. Either
new_generic("foo", "x") for a "standard" generic, or
new_generic("foo", "x", function(x, y) call_method()) for
a non-standard method.
new_external_generic() now requires dispatch_args so we can eagerly
check the signature.
Revamp website. README now shows brief example and more info in
vignette("S7"). Initial design docs and minutes are now articles so
they appear on the website.
props<- for setting multiple properties simultaneously and validating
afterwards (#149).new_S3_class() for
referring to S3 classes (#134). S4 unions are converted to S7 unions (#150).[email protected] -> S7_data(); probably to be replaced by casting.signature -> dispatch_args.str() and print() methodsnew_class() has properties as 3rd argument (instead of constructor).