change argument object in R












0















I want to mutate a data.frame object within a function. The following does not do what I intended:



# function to change factors to characters using dplyr
# x: a data.frame
fa_clean <- function(x,...) {
require(dplyr)
x <- x %>% mutate_if(is.factor, as.character)
print(x)
return(x)
}

# example set
test <- data.frame(number=c(1:10),letter=as.factor(letters[1:10]))

fa_clean(test) # applying the function
str(test) # letter is still a factor ???


I am obviously missing something. Edit: And I am aware of:



test <- fa_clean(test)


But I would like to run it without this assignment.










share|improve this question

























  • R is a functional language. It's a feature that you have to explicitly assign the result to something.

    – Hong Ooi
    Nov 23 '18 at 8:54











  • Also, printing something to the console is not the same as returning a result

    – Hong Ooi
    Nov 23 '18 at 8:55






  • 1





    Would magrittr's inplace pipe work for your needs? test %<>% mutate_if(is.factor, as.character) will update test in place, although if you use that inside a function with argument x, it won't update test outside of the function.

    – andrew_reece
    Nov 23 '18 at 8:57
















0















I want to mutate a data.frame object within a function. The following does not do what I intended:



# function to change factors to characters using dplyr
# x: a data.frame
fa_clean <- function(x,...) {
require(dplyr)
x <- x %>% mutate_if(is.factor, as.character)
print(x)
return(x)
}

# example set
test <- data.frame(number=c(1:10),letter=as.factor(letters[1:10]))

fa_clean(test) # applying the function
str(test) # letter is still a factor ???


I am obviously missing something. Edit: And I am aware of:



test <- fa_clean(test)


But I would like to run it without this assignment.










share|improve this question

























  • R is a functional language. It's a feature that you have to explicitly assign the result to something.

    – Hong Ooi
    Nov 23 '18 at 8:54











  • Also, printing something to the console is not the same as returning a result

    – Hong Ooi
    Nov 23 '18 at 8:55






  • 1





    Would magrittr's inplace pipe work for your needs? test %<>% mutate_if(is.factor, as.character) will update test in place, although if you use that inside a function with argument x, it won't update test outside of the function.

    – andrew_reece
    Nov 23 '18 at 8:57














0












0








0








I want to mutate a data.frame object within a function. The following does not do what I intended:



# function to change factors to characters using dplyr
# x: a data.frame
fa_clean <- function(x,...) {
require(dplyr)
x <- x %>% mutate_if(is.factor, as.character)
print(x)
return(x)
}

# example set
test <- data.frame(number=c(1:10),letter=as.factor(letters[1:10]))

fa_clean(test) # applying the function
str(test) # letter is still a factor ???


I am obviously missing something. Edit: And I am aware of:



test <- fa_clean(test)


But I would like to run it without this assignment.










share|improve this question
















I want to mutate a data.frame object within a function. The following does not do what I intended:



# function to change factors to characters using dplyr
# x: a data.frame
fa_clean <- function(x,...) {
require(dplyr)
x <- x %>% mutate_if(is.factor, as.character)
print(x)
return(x)
}

# example set
test <- data.frame(number=c(1:10),letter=as.factor(letters[1:10]))

fa_clean(test) # applying the function
str(test) # letter is still a factor ???


I am obviously missing something. Edit: And I am aware of:



test <- fa_clean(test)


But I would like to run it without this assignment.







r function






share|improve this question















share|improve this question













share|improve this question




share|improve this question








edited Nov 23 '18 at 10:40







Krisselack

















asked Nov 23 '18 at 8:30









KrisselackKrisselack

10510




10510













  • R is a functional language. It's a feature that you have to explicitly assign the result to something.

    – Hong Ooi
    Nov 23 '18 at 8:54











  • Also, printing something to the console is not the same as returning a result

    – Hong Ooi
    Nov 23 '18 at 8:55






  • 1





    Would magrittr's inplace pipe work for your needs? test %<>% mutate_if(is.factor, as.character) will update test in place, although if you use that inside a function with argument x, it won't update test outside of the function.

    – andrew_reece
    Nov 23 '18 at 8:57



















  • R is a functional language. It's a feature that you have to explicitly assign the result to something.

    – Hong Ooi
    Nov 23 '18 at 8:54











  • Also, printing something to the console is not the same as returning a result

    – Hong Ooi
    Nov 23 '18 at 8:55






  • 1





    Would magrittr's inplace pipe work for your needs? test %<>% mutate_if(is.factor, as.character) will update test in place, although if you use that inside a function with argument x, it won't update test outside of the function.

    – andrew_reece
    Nov 23 '18 at 8:57

















R is a functional language. It's a feature that you have to explicitly assign the result to something.

– Hong Ooi
Nov 23 '18 at 8:54





R is a functional language. It's a feature that you have to explicitly assign the result to something.

– Hong Ooi
Nov 23 '18 at 8:54













Also, printing something to the console is not the same as returning a result

– Hong Ooi
Nov 23 '18 at 8:55





Also, printing something to the console is not the same as returning a result

– Hong Ooi
Nov 23 '18 at 8:55




1




1





Would magrittr's inplace pipe work for your needs? test %<>% mutate_if(is.factor, as.character) will update test in place, although if you use that inside a function with argument x, it won't update test outside of the function.

– andrew_reece
Nov 23 '18 at 8:57





Would magrittr's inplace pipe work for your needs? test %<>% mutate_if(is.factor, as.character) will update test in place, although if you use that inside a function with argument x, it won't update test outside of the function.

– andrew_reece
Nov 23 '18 at 8:57












1 Answer
1






active

oldest

votes


















1














Here is your code with the necessary modification to make it work:



fa_clean <- function(x) {
varname <- deparse(substitute(x))
require(dplyr)
x <- x %>% mutate_if(is.factor, as.character)
assign(varname, x, envir = .GlobalEnv)
}

# example set
test <- data.frame(number=c(1:10),letter=as.factor(letters[1:10]))
fa_clean(test)
str(test) # letter is no longer a factor
'data.frame': 10 obs. of 2 variables:
$ number: int 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
$ letter: chr "a" "b" "c" "d" ...





share|improve this answer


























  • Thanks, so basically removing the piping did the trick. Your first version, which I also tried before returns a factor.

    – Krisselack
    Nov 23 '18 at 10:32













  • fa_clean <- function(x,...) { require(dplyr) x <- x %>% mutate_if(is.factor, as.character) x # don't print, just return } test <- data.frame(number=c(1:10),letter=as.factor(letters[1:10])) fa_clean(test) str(test) # returns a factor

    – Krisselack
    Nov 23 '18 at 10:35








  • 1





    This is exactly what I wanted. I thought that I would need environments, I just fooled around with <<-, but your solution taught me a lot. Thank you very much.

    – Krisselack
    Nov 23 '18 at 10:51












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1 Answer
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1 Answer
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oldest

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active

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1














Here is your code with the necessary modification to make it work:



fa_clean <- function(x) {
varname <- deparse(substitute(x))
require(dplyr)
x <- x %>% mutate_if(is.factor, as.character)
assign(varname, x, envir = .GlobalEnv)
}

# example set
test <- data.frame(number=c(1:10),letter=as.factor(letters[1:10]))
fa_clean(test)
str(test) # letter is no longer a factor
'data.frame': 10 obs. of 2 variables:
$ number: int 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
$ letter: chr "a" "b" "c" "d" ...





share|improve this answer


























  • Thanks, so basically removing the piping did the trick. Your first version, which I also tried before returns a factor.

    – Krisselack
    Nov 23 '18 at 10:32













  • fa_clean <- function(x,...) { require(dplyr) x <- x %>% mutate_if(is.factor, as.character) x # don't print, just return } test <- data.frame(number=c(1:10),letter=as.factor(letters[1:10])) fa_clean(test) str(test) # returns a factor

    – Krisselack
    Nov 23 '18 at 10:35








  • 1





    This is exactly what I wanted. I thought that I would need environments, I just fooled around with <<-, but your solution taught me a lot. Thank you very much.

    – Krisselack
    Nov 23 '18 at 10:51
















1














Here is your code with the necessary modification to make it work:



fa_clean <- function(x) {
varname <- deparse(substitute(x))
require(dplyr)
x <- x %>% mutate_if(is.factor, as.character)
assign(varname, x, envir = .GlobalEnv)
}

# example set
test <- data.frame(number=c(1:10),letter=as.factor(letters[1:10]))
fa_clean(test)
str(test) # letter is no longer a factor
'data.frame': 10 obs. of 2 variables:
$ number: int 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
$ letter: chr "a" "b" "c" "d" ...





share|improve this answer


























  • Thanks, so basically removing the piping did the trick. Your first version, which I also tried before returns a factor.

    – Krisselack
    Nov 23 '18 at 10:32













  • fa_clean <- function(x,...) { require(dplyr) x <- x %>% mutate_if(is.factor, as.character) x # don't print, just return } test <- data.frame(number=c(1:10),letter=as.factor(letters[1:10])) fa_clean(test) str(test) # returns a factor

    – Krisselack
    Nov 23 '18 at 10:35








  • 1





    This is exactly what I wanted. I thought that I would need environments, I just fooled around with <<-, but your solution taught me a lot. Thank you very much.

    – Krisselack
    Nov 23 '18 at 10:51














1












1








1







Here is your code with the necessary modification to make it work:



fa_clean <- function(x) {
varname <- deparse(substitute(x))
require(dplyr)
x <- x %>% mutate_if(is.factor, as.character)
assign(varname, x, envir = .GlobalEnv)
}

# example set
test <- data.frame(number=c(1:10),letter=as.factor(letters[1:10]))
fa_clean(test)
str(test) # letter is no longer a factor
'data.frame': 10 obs. of 2 variables:
$ number: int 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
$ letter: chr "a" "b" "c" "d" ...





share|improve this answer















Here is your code with the necessary modification to make it work:



fa_clean <- function(x) {
varname <- deparse(substitute(x))
require(dplyr)
x <- x %>% mutate_if(is.factor, as.character)
assign(varname, x, envir = .GlobalEnv)
}

# example set
test <- data.frame(number=c(1:10),letter=as.factor(letters[1:10]))
fa_clean(test)
str(test) # letter is no longer a factor
'data.frame': 10 obs. of 2 variables:
$ number: int 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
$ letter: chr "a" "b" "c" "d" ...






share|improve this answer














share|improve this answer



share|improve this answer








edited Dec 13 '18 at 10:05

























answered Nov 23 '18 at 9:34









sindri_baldursindri_baldur

8,3601033




8,3601033













  • Thanks, so basically removing the piping did the trick. Your first version, which I also tried before returns a factor.

    – Krisselack
    Nov 23 '18 at 10:32













  • fa_clean <- function(x,...) { require(dplyr) x <- x %>% mutate_if(is.factor, as.character) x # don't print, just return } test <- data.frame(number=c(1:10),letter=as.factor(letters[1:10])) fa_clean(test) str(test) # returns a factor

    – Krisselack
    Nov 23 '18 at 10:35








  • 1





    This is exactly what I wanted. I thought that I would need environments, I just fooled around with <<-, but your solution taught me a lot. Thank you very much.

    – Krisselack
    Nov 23 '18 at 10:51



















  • Thanks, so basically removing the piping did the trick. Your first version, which I also tried before returns a factor.

    – Krisselack
    Nov 23 '18 at 10:32













  • fa_clean <- function(x,...) { require(dplyr) x <- x %>% mutate_if(is.factor, as.character) x # don't print, just return } test <- data.frame(number=c(1:10),letter=as.factor(letters[1:10])) fa_clean(test) str(test) # returns a factor

    – Krisselack
    Nov 23 '18 at 10:35








  • 1





    This is exactly what I wanted. I thought that I would need environments, I just fooled around with <<-, but your solution taught me a lot. Thank you very much.

    – Krisselack
    Nov 23 '18 at 10:51

















Thanks, so basically removing the piping did the trick. Your first version, which I also tried before returns a factor.

– Krisselack
Nov 23 '18 at 10:32







Thanks, so basically removing the piping did the trick. Your first version, which I also tried before returns a factor.

– Krisselack
Nov 23 '18 at 10:32















fa_clean <- function(x,...) { require(dplyr) x <- x %>% mutate_if(is.factor, as.character) x # don't print, just return } test <- data.frame(number=c(1:10),letter=as.factor(letters[1:10])) fa_clean(test) str(test) # returns a factor

– Krisselack
Nov 23 '18 at 10:35







fa_clean <- function(x,...) { require(dplyr) x <- x %>% mutate_if(is.factor, as.character) x # don't print, just return } test <- data.frame(number=c(1:10),letter=as.factor(letters[1:10])) fa_clean(test) str(test) # returns a factor

– Krisselack
Nov 23 '18 at 10:35






1




1





This is exactly what I wanted. I thought that I would need environments, I just fooled around with <<-, but your solution taught me a lot. Thank you very much.

– Krisselack
Nov 23 '18 at 10:51





This is exactly what I wanted. I thought that I would need environments, I just fooled around with <<-, but your solution taught me a lot. Thank you very much.

– Krisselack
Nov 23 '18 at 10:51




















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