tidyeval functions and problems with `View()`

Question

Code chunk #1 and #2 are identical, except for line number 14. Code chunk #1 uses a print() call and code chunk #2 uses the View() call. Code chunk #1 works fine. Code chunk #2 gives the error "Error in FUN(X[[i]], ...) : object 'cal.date' not found". Why?

1

library(tidyverse)
set.seed(1)
graph.data <- tibble(cal.date = as.Date(40100:40129, origin = "1899-12-30"), 
                     random_num = rnorm(30, 8, 5))

child_function <- function(df, variable, hor.line = 6) {  
  variable <- enquo(variable)
  df <- df %>% mutate(mutation = 2 * !!variable, horizontal.line = hor.line)
}

parent_function <- function(df, date, variable, hor.line = 6) {
  date <- enquo(date)
  variable <- enquo(variable)
  df <- df %>% child_function(!!variable, hor.line) %>% print()  # LINE 14
  p <- ggplot(df, aes(!!date, mutation)) + 
    geom_point() + 
    geom_hline(aes(yintercept = hor.line))
  p
}

parent_function(graph.data, date = cal.date, variable = random_num, hor.line = 8)

2

library(tidyverse)
set.seed(1)
graph.data <- tibble(cal.date = as.Date(40100:40129, origin = "1899-12-30"), 
                     random_num = rnorm(30, 8, 5))

child_function <- function(df, variable, hor.line = 6) {  
  variable <- enquo(variable)
  df <- df %>% mutate(mutation = 2 * !!variable, horizontal.line = hor.line)
}

parent_function <- function(df, date, variable, hor.line = 6) {
  date <- enquo(date)
  variable <- enquo(variable)
  df <- df %>% child_function(!!variable, hor.line) %>% View() # LINE 14
  p <- ggplot(df, aes(!!date, mutation)) + 
    geom_point() + 
    geom_hline(aes(yintercept = hor.line))
  p
}

parent_function(graph.data, date = cal.date, variable = random_num, hor.line = 8)

Answer 1

View() is a side effect function and does not return anything.

Use %T>% from the magrittr package instead of %>% for your second case.

View() ends the pipe such that you will want to have a T pipe instead. I think you can see it more clearly like this

 df %>% child_function(!!variable, hor.line) %>% View() -> df

vs.

 df %>% child_function(!!variable, hor.line) %T>% View() -> df