CVE/notes.md

## Build and install.
To build the package the `devtools` package is used. This also provides `roxygen2` which is used for documentation and authomatic creaton of the `NAMESPACE` file.
```R
setwd("./CVE_R")  # Set path to the package root.
library(devtools) # Load required `devtools` package.
document()        # Create `.Rd` files and write `NAMESPACE`.
```
Next the package needs to be build, therefore (if pure `R` package, aka. `C/C++`, `Fortran`, ... code) just do the following.
```bash
R CMD build CVE_R
R CMD INSTALL CVE_0.1.tar.gz
```
Then we are ready for using the package.
```R
library(CVE)
help(package = "CVE")
```
## Build and install from within `R`.
An alternative approach is the following.
```R
setwd('./CVE_R')
getwd()

library(devtools)
document()
# No vignettes to build but "inst/doc/" is required!
(path <- build(vignettes = FALSE))
install.packages(path, repos = NULL, type = "source")
```
**Note: I only recommend this approach during development.**

## Reading log files.
The runtime tests (upcomming further tests) are creating log files saved in `tmp/`. These log files are `CSV` files (actualy `TSV`) with a header storing the test results. Depending on the test the files may contain differnt data. As an example we use the runtime test logs which store in each line the `dataset`, the used `method` as well as the `error` (actual error of estimated `B` against real `B`) and the `time`. For reading and analysing the data see the following example.
```R
# Load log as `data.frame`
test0 <- read.csv('tmp/test0.log', sep = '\t')
# Create a error boxplot grouped by dataset.
boxplot(error ~ dataset, test0)
```

## Environments and variable lookup.
In the following a view simple examples of how `R` searches for variables.
In addition we manipulate funciton closures to alter the search path in variable lookup and outer scope variable manipulation.
```R
droids <- "These aren't the droids you're looking for."

search <- function() {
    print(droids)
}

trooper.seeks <- function() {
    droids <- c("R2-D2", "C-3PO")
    search()
}

jedi.seeks <- function() {
    droids <- c("R2-D2", "C-3PO")
    environment(search) <- environment()
    search()
}

trooper.seeks()
jedi.seeks()
```

The next example ilustrates how to write (without local copies) to variables outside the functions local environment.
```R
counting <- function() {
    count <<- count + 1 # Note the `<<-` assignment.
}

(function() {
    environment(counting) <- environment()
    count <- 0

    for (i in 1:10) {
        counting()
    }

    return(count)
})()

(function () {
    closure <- new.env()
    environment(counting) <- closure
    assign("count", 0, envir = closure)

    for (i in 1:10) {
        counting()
    }

    return(closure$count)
})()
```

Another example for the usage of `do.call` where the evaluation of parameters is illustated (example taken (and altered) from `?do.call`).
```R
## examples of where objects will be found.
A <- "A.Global"
f <- function(x) print(paste("f.new", x))
env <- new.env()
assign("A", "A.new", envir = env)
assign("f", f, envir = env)
f <- function(x) print(paste("f.Global", x))
f(A)                                          # f.Global A.Global
do.call("f", list(A))                         # f.Global A.Global
do.call("f", list(A), envir = env)            # f.new A.Global
do.call(f,   list(A), envir = env)            # f.Global A.Global
do.call("f", list(quote(A)), envir = env)     # f.new A.new
do.call(f,   list(quote(A)), envir = env)     # f.Global A.new
do.call("f", list(as.name("A")), envir = env) # f.new A.new
do.call("f", list(as.name("A")), envir = env) # f.new A.new
```

# Performance benchmarks
In this section alternative implementations of simple algorithms are compared for there performance.

### Computing the trace of a matrix multiplication.
```R
library(microbenchmark)

A <- matrix(runif(120), 12, 10)

# Matrix trace.
tr <- function(M) sum(diag(M))

# Check correctnes and benckmark performance.
stopifnot(
    all.equal(
        tr(t(A) %*% A),
        sum(diag(t(A) %*% A)),
        sum(A * A)
    )
)
microbenchmark(
    tr(t(A) %*% A),
    sum(diag(t(A) %*% A)),
    sum(A * A)
)
# Unit: nanoseconds
#                   expr  min   lq    mean median     uq   max neval
#         tr(t(A) %*% A) 4335 4713 5076.36 4949.5 5402.5  7928   100
#  sum(diag(t(A) %*% A)) 4106 4429 5233.89 4733.5 5057.5 49308   100
#             sum(A * A)  540  681  777.07  740.0  818.5  3572   100
```

```R
n <- 200
M <- matrix(runif(n^2), n, n)

dnorm2 <- function(x) exp(-0.5 * x^2) / sqrt(2 * pi)

stopifnot(
    all.equal(dnorm(M), dnorm2(M))
)
microbenchmark(
    dnorm = dnorm(M),
    dnorm2 = dnorm2(M),
    exp = exp(-0.5 * M^2) # without scaling -> irrelevant for usage
)
# Unit: microseconds
#   expr     min      lq     mean   median       uq      max neval
#  dnorm 841.503 843.811 920.7828 855.7505 912.4720 2405.587   100
# dnorm2 543.510 580.319 629.5321 597.8540 607.3795 2603.763   100
#    exp 502.083 535.943 577.2884 548.3745 561.3280 2113.220   100
```

### Using `crosspord()`
```R
p <- 12
q <- 10
V <- matrix(runif(p * q), p, q)

stopifnot(
    all.equal(V %*% t(V), tcrossprod(V)),
    all.equal(V %*% t(V), tcrossprod(V, V))
)
microbenchmark(
    V %*% t(V),
    tcrossprod(V),
    tcrossprod(V, V)
)
# Unit: microseconds
#              expr   min     lq    mean median     uq    max neval
#        V %*% t(V) 2.293 2.6335 2.94673 2.7375 2.9060 19.592   100
#     tcrossprod(V) 1.148 1.2475 1.86173 1.3440 1.4650 30.688   100
#  tcrossprod(V, V) 1.003 1.1575 1.28451 1.2400 1.3685  2.742   100
```

## Using `Rprof()` for performance.
The standart method for profiling where an algorithm is spending its time is with `Rprof()`.
```R
path <- '../tmp/R.prof' # path to profiling file
Rprof(path)
cve.res <- cve.call(X, Y, k = k)
Rprof(NULL)
(prof <- summaryRprof(path)) # Summarise results
```
**Note: considure to run `gc()` before measuring**, aka cleaning up by explicitely calling the garbage collector.