Resolving Bitbucket Repository Name Case Sensitivity Issues with R's devtools

Understanding Bitbucket Installability with R’s devtools

R’s devtools package provides an easy way to install packages from various sources, including Bitbucket. However, a recent issue has been observed where the install_bitbucket() function from devtools behaves differently depending on whether the repository name is in upper case or lower case.

In this article, we’ll delve into what causes this behavior and explore potential workarounds while also discussing how to leverage R’s install_bitbucket() function effectively for Bitbucket repositories.

Introduction to devtools

The devtools package in R provides a suite of tools to streamline development tasks. One of its key features is the ability to install packages from various sources, including GitHub, GitLab, and Bitbucket.

library(devtools)
install_bitbucket("readlicor","remkoduursma")

The install_bitbucket() function takes two main arguments: the repository name (repo) and the username. It’s also possible to specify a branch or commit reference using the ref argument.

The Issue at Hand

A user, remko, encountered an issue with install_bitbucket() when trying to install a package from Bitbucket:

install_bitbucket("GasExchangeR","remkoduursma")

Instead of installing the package, R’s devtools looked for a non-existent repository on Bitbucket: bitbucket.org/remkoduursma/GasExchangeR/get/master.zip. However, when remko tried to install another package (readlicor) using the same function:

install_bitbucket("readlicor","remkoduursma")

The package was installed successfully.

Understanding Bitbucket’s Repository Naming Conventions

Bitbucket uses a case-insensitive repository naming convention. This means that repositories with the same name but different casing (e.g., GasExchangeR vs gasexchanger) are treated as the same repository.

In the context of R’s install_bitbucket() function, this behavior may lead to unexpected results when installing packages from Bitbucket.

Resolving the Issue

The solution involves redefining the install_bitbucket() function to convert the repository name to lower case before making the HTTP request. This ensures that R’s devtools uses the correct repository URL for installation.

install_bitbucket &lt;- function (repo, username, ref = "master", branch = NULL, ...) {
  if (!is.null(branch)) {
    warning("'branch' is deprecated. In the future, please use 'ref' instead.")
    ref &lt;- branch
  }

  repo &lt;- tolower(repo)
  message("Installing bitbucket repo(s) ", paste(repo, ref, 
                                                 sep = "/", collapse = ", "), " from ", paste(username, 
                                                                                              collapse = ", "))
  url &lt;- paste("https://bitbucket.org/", username, "/", repo, 
               "/get/", ref, ".zip", sep = "")
  install_url(url, paste(ref, ".zip", sep = ""), ...)
}

Additional Workarounds

While modifying the install_bitbucket() function provides a permanent solution, it may not be desirable for all users. In such cases, here are some additional workarounds to consider:

Renaming packages to lower case: As suggested by the original poster, renaming packages to lower case can resolve the issue.

library(devtools)
install_bitbucket("gasexchanger","remkoduursma")

Using a custom installation function: You can create a custom function that wraps install_bitbucket() and converts the repository name to lower case before making the HTTP request.

custom_install_bitbucket &lt;- function (repo, username, ref = "master", branch = NULL, ...) {
  repo &lt;- tolower(repo)
  install_bitbucket(repo, username, ref, ..., verbose = FALSE)
}

library(devtools)
custom_install_bitucket("GasExchangeR","remkoduursma")

Using a Bitbucket API wrapper: If you’re comfortable with API programming, you can create a custom function that interacts directly with the Bitbucket API to fetch package metadata.

Conclusion

The issue at hand stems from the way R’s devtools handles repository names during installation. By redefining the install_bitbucket() function or employing one of the additional workarounds mentioned above, you can ensure smooth installation of packages from Bitbucket repositories.

While modifying a core package might seem daunting, it also presents an opportunity to contribute back to the R community and improve the overall user experience.

For now, when working with Bitbucket repositories in your R projects, remember to convert repository names to lower case or take advantage of one of these workarounds to avoid any potential issues.

Last modified on 2023-08-23