[R] how to pass "arguments" to a function within a function?

[jim holtman]

Try this:

> vars.in = data.frame(x='sample1',y='sample2', stringsAsFactors=FALSE)
> sample1 <- c(111,222,333)
> sample2 <- c(444,555,666)
> minus <- function(x,y) {get(x)-get(y)}
>
>
> examplefun <- function(fun, vars=vars.in, ...) {
+     # convert 'vars' to a list and call the function
+     do.call(fun, as.list(vars))
+ }
>
> examplefun(fun=minus, vars = vars.in)
[1] -333 -333 -333
>


On 5/10/07, new ruser <newruser at yahoo.com> wrote:
> Thanks, but I need to clarify.
>
> Sometimes f"FUN" may take only 1 argument, other times it may take several
> arguments.
>
> How can I write the code so that the appropriate arguments are
> "automatically" passed to fun, using the column names in vars.in as the
> "argument names" and the contents of row1 of vars.in as the arguments?
>
> jim holtman <jholtman at gmail.com> wrote:
> You weren't passing in any 'x' and 'y' arguments to the 'fun'.
>
> Try this:
>
> vars.in = data.frame(x='sample1',y='sample2')
>
>
> examplefun <- function(fun, vars=vars.in, ...) {
>
> for(v in 1: ncol(vars) ) {
> assign( names(vars)[v] , vars[1,v] , env=.GlobalEnv)
> }
> fun(x=as.character(vars[1,1]), y=as.character(vars[1,2]))
> }
>
> examplefun(fun=minus, vars = vars.in)
>
>
> On 5/10/07, new ruser wrote:
> > I have searched the r-help files but have not been able to find an answer
> to this question. I apologize if this questions has been asked previously.
> >
> > (Please excuse the ludicrousness of this example, as I have simplified my
> task for the purposes of this help inquiry. Please trust me that something
> like this will in fact be useful what I am trying to accomplish. I am using
> R 2.4.1 in Windows XP.)
> >
> > I have created two functions:
> >
> > 1. minus <- function(x,y) {get(x)-get(y)}
> >
> > a. note: x and y are of type character and represent the names of
> numerical objects)
> >
> >
> > 2. examplefun <- function(fun, vars=vars.in, ...) {
> >
> > for(v in 1: ncol(vars) ) {
> > assign( names(vars)[v] , vars[1,v] , env=.GlobalEnv)
> > }
> >
> > fun(...) }
> >
> > a. FUN = another function (e.g. minus() that takes as its inputs variables
> of type chatrcater
> > b. vars = (a data.frame with the names of variables that will be passed to
> "FUN"
> >
> > My problem: various inputs for "FUN" will require different arguments.
> These arguments will be contained in the column names of "vars". How do I
> pass these arguments to FUN()?
> >
> >
> > My example and my attempt:
> >
> > what I am trying to do, successfully accomplished without a function:
> > x='sample1'
> > y='sample2'
> >
> > sample1=c(222,333,444)
> > sample2=c(100,200,300)
> >
> > minus <- function(x,y) {get(x)-get(y)}
> > minus(x,y)
> >
> > #########################################################
> >
> > #My so-far failing attempt to write a function to do the same thing:
> >
> > vars.in = data.frame(x='sample1',y='sample2')
> >
> >
> > examplefun <- function(fun, vars=vars.in, ...) {
> >
> > for(v in 1: ncol(vars) ) {
> > assign( names(vars)[v] , vars[1,v] , env=.GlobalEnv)
> > }
> >
> > fun(...) }
> >
> > examplefun(fun=minus, vars = vars.in)
> >
> >
> > ---------------------------------
> > Now that's room service! Choose from over 150,000 hotels
> >
> > [[alternative HTML version deleted]]
> >
> > ______________________________________________
> > R-help at stat.math.ethz.ch mailing list
> > https://stat.ethz.ch/mailman/listinfo/r-help
> > PLEASE do read the posting guide
> http://www.R-project.org/posting-guide.html
> > and provide commented, minimal, self-contained, reproducible code.
> >
>
>
> --
> Jim Holtman
> Cincinnati, OH
> +1 513 646 9390
>
> What is the problem you are trying to solve?
>
>
>
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-- 
Jim Holtman
Cincinnati, OH
+1 513 646 9390

What is the problem you are trying to solve?