The first call to the function f works, the second does not. How can I pass a String ("v") to the function f so that the function works as exspected?
library(data.table)
f<-function(t,x) t[,deparse(substitute(x)),with=F]
dat<-data.table(v="a")
f(dat,v)
# v
# 1: a
f(dat,eval(parse(text="v")))
# Error in `[.data.table`(t, , deparse(substitute(x)), with = F) :
# column(s) not found: eval(parse(text = "v"))
It won't be a one-liner anymore but you can test for what you're passing in:
library(data.table)
library(purrr)
dat <- data.table(v="a")
f <- function(dt, x) {
# first, see if 'x' is a variable holding a string with a column name
seval <- safely(eval)
res <- seval(x, dt, parent.frame())
# if it is, then get the value, otherwise substitute() it
if ((!is.null(res$result)) && inherits(res$result, "character")) {
y <- res$result
} else {
y <- substitute(x)
}
# if it's a bare name, then we deparse it, otherwise we turn
# the string into name and then deparse it
if (inherits(y, "name")) {
y <- deparse(y)
} else if (inherits(y, "character")) {
y <- deparse(as.name(x))
}
dt[, y, with=FALSE]
}
f(dat,v)
## v
## 1: a
f(dat, "v")
## v
## 1: a
V <- "v"
f(dat, V)
## v
## 1: a
f(dat, VVV)
#> throws an Error
I switched it from t to dt since I don't like using the names of built-in functions (like t()) as variable names unless I really have to. It can introduce subtle errors in larger code blocks that can be frustrating to debug.
I'd also move the safely() call outside the f() function to save a function call each time you run f(). You can use old-school try() instead, if you like, but you have to check for try-error which may break some day. You could also tryCatch() wrap it, but the safely() way just seems cleaner to me.