Deprecate dev_mode() (#2476)

* Deprecate dev_mode()

* More work on the deprecation

* Update NEWS bullet

---------

Co-authored-by: Jenny Bryan <jenny.f.bryan@gmail.com>

Author: billdenney

NEWS.md

@@ -20,6 +20,8 @@
 
 * `test()` and `test_active_file()` once again work with testthat itself.
 
+* `dev_mode()` is deprecated (@billdenney, #2467).
+
 # devtools 2.4.4
 
 * `install(reload = TRUE)` now calls `pkgload::unregister()` instead

R/dev-mode.R

@@ -1,16 +1,28 @@
-#' Activate and deactivate development mode.
+#' Activate and deactivate development mode
 #'
-#' When activated, `dev_mode` creates a new library for storing installed
-#' packages. This new library is automatically created when `dev_mode` is
-#' activated if it does not already exist.
-#' This allows you to test development packages in a sandbox, without
-#' interfering with the other packages you have installed.
+#' @description
+#' `r lifecycle::badge("deprecated")`
 #'
-#' @param on turn dev mode on (`TRUE`) or off (`FALSE`).  If omitted
-#'  will guess based on whether or not `path` is in
-#'  [.libPaths()]
+
+#' We no longer recommend `dev_mode()` and it will be removed in a future
+#' release of devtools. Instead, we now rely on [load_all()] to test drive an
+#' in-development package. If you really like the idea of corralling
+#' experimental packages in a special library, you might enjoy
+#' `withr::local_libpaths()`. If you are concerned about different projects
+#' interfering with each other through the use of a shared library, consider
+#' using the [renv package](https://rstudio.github.io/renv/).
+#'
+#' Original description: When activated, `dev_mode` creates a new library for
+#' storing installed packages. This new library is automatically created when
+#' `dev_mode` is activated if it does not already exist. This allows you to test
+#' development packages in a sandbox, without interfering with the other
+#' packages you have installed.
+#'
+#' @param on turn dev mode on (`TRUE`) or off (`FALSE`).  If omitted will guess
+#'   based on whether or not `path` is in [.libPaths()]
 #' @param path directory to library.
 #' @export
+#' @keywords internal
 #' @examples
 #' \dontrun{
 #' dev_mode()
@@ -20,6 +32,7 @@ dev_mode <- local({
   .prompt <- NULL
 
   function(on = NULL, path = getOption("devtools.path")) {
+    lifecycle::deprecate_warn("2.4.5", "dev_mode()")
     lib_paths <- .libPaths()
 
     path <- path_real(path)

R/devtools-package.R

@@ -1,16 +1,10 @@
 #' @section Package options:
 #'
 #' Devtools uses the following [options()] to configure behaviour:
-#'
-#' \itemize{
-#'   \item `devtools.path`: path to use for [dev_mode()]
-#'
-#'   \item `devtools.name`: your name, used when signing draft
-#'     emails.
-#'
-#'   \item `devtools.install.args`: a string giving extra arguments passed
-#'     to `R CMD install` by [install()].
-#' }
+#' * `devtools.install.args`: a string giving extra arguments passed to
+#'   `R CMD install` by [install()].
+#' * `devtools.path`: Deprecated. Path used by the now-deprecated [dev_mode()]
+#'   function.
 #' @docType package
 #' @keywords internal
 "_PACKAGE"

_pkgdown.yml

@@ -36,7 +36,6 @@ reference:
     contents:
     - bash
     - clean_vignettes
-    - dev_mode
     - dev_sitrep
     - github_pull
     - lint