Show deprecation warning for Data Packages created with previous versions of frictionless

[peterdesmet]

Fix #293.

@sannegovaert this should resolve issues you had with river_telemetry and o_assen while frictionless 1.2.1.9000 was loaded.

You can test with:

library(frictonless) # Installed from this branch
movepub::o_assen # Should show deprecation warning
movepub::o_assen # Should just show print, since warning is only shown once

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[peterdesmet]

All functions should work on older packages, that is currently not the case:

• print()
• resource_names()
• read_resource()
• write_package()
• add_resource()
• create_package()

library(frictionless)
p <- movepub::o_assen

p
#> Warning: `package$directory` was deprecated in frictionless 1.3.0.
#> ℹ This Data Package was created with an older version of frictionless. Read or
#>   create it again to avoid this warning.
#> ℹ The deprecated feature was likely used in the frictionless package.
#>   Please report the issue at
#>   <https://github.com/frictionlessdata/frictionless-r/issues>.
#> This warning is displayed once per session.
#> Call `lifecycle::last_lifecycle_warnings()` to see where this warning was
#> generated.
#> A Data Package with 2 resources:
#> • reference-data
#> • gps
#> For more information, see <https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.10053903>.
#> Use `unclass()` to print the Data Package as a list.

resource_names(p)
#> [1] "reference-data" "gps"

read_resource(p, "reference-data")
#> Error in `purrr::map_chr()` at frictionless-r/R/resource.R:60:7:
#> ℹ In index: 1.
#> Caused by error in `check_path()`:
#> ! Can't find file at 'O_ASSEN-reference-data.csv'.

write_package(p, "o_assen")
#> Error in `purrr::map_chr()` at frictionless-r/R/resource.R:60:7:
#> ℹ In index: 1.
#> Caused by error in `check_path()`:
#> ! Can't find file at 'O_ASSEN-reference-data.csv'.

add_resource(p, "iris", iris)
#> A Data Package with 3 resources:
#> • reference-data
#> • gps
#> • iris
#> For more information, see <https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.10053903>.
#> Use `unclass()` to print the Data Package as a list.

create_package(p)
#> A Data Package with 2 resources:
#> • reference-data
#> • gps
#> For more information, see <https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.10053903>.
#> Use `unclass()` to print the Data Package as a list.

^{Created on 2026-04-13 with reprex v2.1.1}

[peterdesmet]

@sannegovaert @PietrH we have two options when a user has stored a Data Package object (e.g. as an rda) created with an older version of frictionless. Which one do you prefer?

Option 1

1. When loading/printing on old Data Package object, the user gets deprecation warning:

   package$directory was deprecated in frictionless 1.3.0.
   ! This Data Package was created with an older version of frictionless
   ℹ Create a valid Data Package object with read_package() or create_package().

2. The object is converted to the latest version, meaning:

• They won't get the deprecation warning anymore
• All other frictionless functions will work

or:

Option 2

1. Same as above
2. The package is not silently converted to the latest version, meaning:

• They won't get the deprecation warning anymore (because they are silenced by lifecycle)
• The user has to manually run my_package <- create_package(my_package) (the deprecation warning could make this clearer)
• If they don't, not all frictionless functions will work

---

The decision also has future implications: with frictionless v2, we might want to upconvert other aspects. The question is whether this should be done by check_package() (silently) or create_package() (on purpose, by the user).

[PietrH]

I lean towards option 2, but I don't have strong feelings about it. Having it done by the user makes it clearer to the user that something has changed. But it might be inconvenient I suppose, adding friction.

[sannegovaert]

I assume there are not many other cases where a frictionless Data Package is stored somewhere? In that case I think option 2 is fine.

[peterdesmet]

Thanks for the feedback, I have opted for version 2. The user has to update the stored Data Package object with create_package(). Advantages:

• We can keep the convention that check_package() only checks and doesn't secretly update.
• User/developer is aware an update at the source (R package) is likely preferable

This is the workflow:

library(frictionless)
p_old <- movepub::o_assen

# DEPRECATION WARNING WITH TIP TO USE create_package()
p_old
#> Warning: `package$directory` was deprecated in frictionless 1.3.0.
#> ℹ This Data Package object was created with an older version of frictionless.
#>   Update it with `create_package()`.
#> ℹ The deprecated feature was likely used in the frictionless package.
#>   Please report the issue at
#>   <https://github.com/frictionlessdata/frictionless-r/issues>.
#> This warning is displayed once per session.
#> Call `lifecycle::last_lifecycle_warnings()` to see where this warning was
#> generated.
#> A Data Package with 2 resources:
#> • reference-data
#> • gps
#> For more information, see <https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.10053903>.
#> Use `unclass()` to print the Data Package as a list.

# I DON'T READ THE MESSAGE => THINGS BREAK
read_resource(p_old, "reference-data")
#> Error in `purrr::map_chr()` at frictionless-r/R/resource.R:60:7:
#> ℹ In index: 1.
#> Caused by error in `check_path()`:
#> ! Can't find file at 'O_ASSEN-reference-data.csv'.

# FINE, I'LL UPDATE
p_new <- create_package(p_old)

# THINGS WORK NOW
read_resource(p_new, "reference-data")
#> # A tibble: 7 × 27
#>   `tag-id` `animal-id` `animal-taxon`    `deploy-on-date`    `deploy-off-date`  
#>   <chr>    <chr>       <chr>             <dttm>              <dttm>             
#> 1 5635     5515867     Haematopus ostra… 2018-05-04 09:30:00 2019-05-09 21:28:00
#> 2 5644     5515868     Haematopus ostra… 2018-05-04 11:43:00 NA                 
#> 3 5628     5515869     Haematopus ostra… 2018-05-09 10:15:00 NA                 
#> 4 5642     5515851     Haematopus ostra… 2018-05-09 14:15:00 NA                 
#> 5 5821     5515878     Haematopus ostra… 2019-05-09 19:45:00 NA                 
#> 6 5822     5515879     Haematopus ostra… 2019-05-09 20:30:00 2019-05-14 00:00:00
#> 7 5750     5515867     Haematopus ostra… 2019-05-10 09:00:00 NA                 
#> # ℹ 22 more variables: `alt-project-id` <chr>, `animal-comments` <chr>,
#> #   `animal-life-stage` <chr>, `animal-mass` <dbl>, `animal-nickname` <chr>,
#> #   `animal-ring-id` <chr>, `animal-sex` <chr>, `attachment-type` <chr>,
#> #   `deploy-on-latitude` <dbl>, `deploy-on-longitude` <dbl>,
#> #   `deploy-on-measurements` <chr>, `deployment-comments` <chr>,
#> #   `deployment-end-type` <chr>, `deployment-id` <chr>,
#> #   `location-accuracy-comments` <chr>, `manipulation-type` <chr>, …

^{Created on 2026-05-13 with reprex v2.1.1}