NEWS

TR8 v. 0.9.22
=============


 The tr8() function now has the additional parameter
 'allow_persistent': when set to TRUE, tr8 will store retrieved
 databases from LEDA and Ecoflora into local files to speed up future
 queries; if FALSE, the downloaded data will be store in a temp
 directory that will be cleaned up at the end of the session; when
 NULL (default value), the user will be prompted for a choice between
 the two options (this new parameter is needed to comply with CRAN policies).

 The package now is able to retrieve the trait "flower type after Kugler" from BiolFlor.

 Data Retrieving from Catminat has been updated.

 The 'synonyms' argument for the tr8() function is left for backward compatibility, but is not working
 in current version of TR8; the mechanisms for checking for synonyms relied on the tnrs function from taxize package, which in turn uses taxosaurus.org website: the latter has been having some issues lately and that impair the functioning of TR8.
  The 'synonyms' argument will be restored in future if the issue with taxosaurus.org is fixed.


TR8 v. 0.9.21
=============

Shiny is being used in place of gWidgets to provide the user with a graphical interface to select traits to download.




TR8 v. 0.9.20
=============


## leda_fc

   New function which allows to download Mean Floating Capacity data from LEDA

## synonyms and alternative names

   Now tr8() accepts two new arguments:

   - 'synonyms': when it is set to TRUE the function will use 'tnrs' function from
     		 the package 'taxize' to search for synonyms of the provided species
		 list and search trait data for them as well.

   - 'catminat_alternatives': when TRUE tr8() searches - within the Catminat traitbase - also
                              for species names which "contain" the names of the ones of interest
			      (subspecies in Catminat are usually written in the form "Galium ver. halophilum"
			      instead of "Galium verum subsp. halophilum"; cleaning this format in an automatic way
			      is trickier than expected because for some entries we only have subspecies - thus
			      automatically correcting the Genus is not always possible).



## Fixes

  - LEDA is now using "https"
  - Cleaner requests to Ecoflora
   
 

## Catminat database

	Thanks to the `readxl` package, now the dataset (which is in
    `xlsx` format) can be read without external dependencies
    (i.e. users do not have to worry about installing `perl`)

## BROT, PLANTS and Ecological Flora of California traitbases


     Three new databases are added as sources of data: BROT (mainly related to mediterranean
     species), PLANTS and Ecological Flora of California (from USA).