getMethod
Get a Method for a Generic Function

### Description

Returns the method for a generic function with a given signature.

### Usage

    getMethod(f, signature = character(), where = topenv(parent.frame()),
              optional = FALSE, mlist, fdef)

### Arguments

f | a character string. The name of the generic function.
signature | a character string. The signature of the method to return. If signature is not supplied, getMethod returns the default method.
where | the package environment to search. Supply either an environment or a number representing its position in the search path.
optional | a logical flag. If TRUE, returns NULL instead of an error message if no method is found. The default is FALSE.
mlist | this argument is unimplemented, and a warning is generated if it is given. # an environment argument, or names of functions or MethodsList.
fdef | a generic function object examined to find the specified method. If this is not given, a generic function is found with the name specified by f.

### Details

Contrast this function with selectMethod, which finds the method that the generic would dispatch to evaluate a call using all the information about what classes extend other classes.
The getMethod function finds a method with exactly the given signature.
Value
returns a function definition.

- returns NULL if optional is TRUE, and no method is found.
- generates an error if optional is FALSE, and no method is found.

See Also
selectMethod, existsMethod, hasMethod, findMethod, setMethod.
Examples

    # create generic with default, and method
    setGeneric("setG", function(x) standardGeneric("setG"),
               useAsDefault=function(x) x)
    setMethod("setG", "numeric", function(x) x^2)
    # get method taking "numeric"
    getMethod("setG", signature = "numeric")
    # return NULL, since there is no method with signature "integer"
    getMethod("setG", signature = "integer", optional=TRUE)
    # return default method
    getMethod("setG")

Package methods version 6.1.5-18
Package Index