devtools::test() produces error "Error in save(iraceResults, file = logfile, version = 3L): (converted from warning) 'package:irace' may not be available when loading"

[MLopez-Ibanez]

If I run "R CMD check" I cannot see any warning or error, but running devtools::test() or testthat::test_local(stop_on_failure = TRUE) produces the following error:

Error in `save(iraceResults, file = logfile, version = 3L)`: (converted from warning) 'package:irace' may not be available when loading

Package irace is the package that I am testing. I ran the same code outside of testthat and there is no warning or error.

Warning (test-capping.R:20:3): irace_capping_xy maxTime = 1000
'package:irace' may not be available when loading
Backtrace:
     ▆
  1. ├─testthat::expect_warning(irace_capping_xy(maxTime = 1000), "boundMax = 80 is too large, using 5 instead") at test-capping.R:20:3
  2. │ └─testthat:::expect_condition_matching(...)
  3. │   └─testthat:::quasi_capture(...)
  4. │     ├─testthat (local) .capture(...)
  5. │     │ └─base::withCallingHandlers(...)
  6. │     └─rlang::eval_bare(quo_get_expr(.quo), quo_get_env(.quo))
  7. └─irace_capping_xy(maxTime = 1000)
  8.   └─irace::irace(scenario = scenario) at tests/testthat/helper-common.R:153:3
  9.     └─irace:::irace_common(scenario, simple = TRUE) at git/R/irace.R:598:10
 10.       └─irace:::irace_run(scenario = scenario) at git/R/irace.R:617:3
 11.         └─irace:::elitist_race(...) at git/R/irace.R:1149:5
 12.           └─irace:::race_wrapper(...) at git/R/race.R:961:5
 13.             └─race_state$update_race_experiment_log(target_output, scenario) at git/R/race.R:125:3
 14.               └─irace:::save_irace_logfile(iraceResults, logfile = scenario$logFile) at git/R/race_state.R:118:8
 15.                 └─base::save(iraceResults, file = logfile, version = 3L) at git/R/utils.R:503:3

Error (test-capping.R:20:3): irace_capping_xy maxTime = 1000
Error in `save(iraceResults, file = logfile, version = 3L)`: (converted from warning) 'package:irace' may not be available when loading
Backtrace:
     ▆
  1. ├─testthat::expect_warning(irace_capping_xy(maxTime = 1000), "boundMax = 80 is too large, using 5 instead") at test-capping.R:20:3
  2. │ └─testthat:::expect_condition_matching(...)
  3. │   └─testthat:::quasi_capture(...)
  4. │     ├─testthat (local) .capture(...)
  5. │     │ └─base::withCallingHandlers(...)
  6. │     └─rlang::eval_bare(quo_get_expr(.quo), quo_get_env(.quo))
  7. └─irace_capping_xy(maxTime = 1000)
  8.   └─irace::irace(scenario = scenario) at tests/testthat/helper-common.R:153:3
  9.     └─irace:::irace_common(scenario, simple = TRUE) at git/R/irace.R:598:10
 10.       └─irace:::irace_run(scenario = scenario) at git/R/irace.R:617:3
 11.         └─irace:::save_irace_logfile(iraceResults, logfile = scenario$logFile) at git/R/irace.R:893:5

[MLopez-Ibanez]

I found a work-around.

iraceResults stores a function defined in tests/testthat/helper-common.R. For some reason, this function's environment is <environment: package:irace>. If I modify its environment as follows:

  targetRunner <- target_runner_capping_xy
  environment(targetRunner) <- globalenv()

Then everything works without warning or error.

[MLopez-Ibanez]

Then everything works without warning or error.

But it breaks parallel execution within R CMD check. Another strange thing I noticed. When running under R CMD check, the environment of target_runner_capping_xy is <environment: namespace:irace>. When running under devtools::test() it is <environment: package:irace>.