Also here is a solution that uses formula processing rather than string processing. No packages are used.
Parse <- function(e) { if (length(e) == 1) { if (is.numeric(e)) return(e) else setNames(1, as.character(e)) } else { if (isChar(e[[1]], "*")) { x1 <- Recall(e[[2]]) x2 <- Recall(e[[3]]) setNames(unname(x1 * x2), paste0(names(x1), names(x2))) } else if (isChar(e[[1]], "+")) c(Recall(e[[2]]), Recall(e[[3]])) else if (isChar(e[[1]], "-")) { if (length(e) == 2) -1 * Recall(e[[2]]) else c(Recall(e[[2]]), -Recall(e[[3]])) } else if (isChar(e[[1]], ":")) setNames(1, paste(e[-1], collapse = ":")) } } # test fo <- y ~ 2 - 1.1 * x1 + x3 - x1:x3 + 0.2 * x2:x2 Parse(fo[[3]]) giving: x1 x3 x1:x3 x2:x2 2.0 -1.1 1.0 -1.0 0.2 On Wed, Aug 22, 2018 at 11:50 AM Paul Johnson <pauljoh...@gmail.com> wrote: > > Thanks as usual. I owe you more KU decorations soon. > On Wed, Aug 22, 2018 at 2:34 AM Gabor Grothendieck > <ggrothendi...@gmail.com> wrote: > > > > Some string manipulation can convert the formula to a named vector such as > > the one shown at the end of your post. > > > > library(gsubfn) > > > > # input > > fo <- y ~ 2 - 1.1 * x1 + x3 - x1:x3 + 0.2 * x2:x2 > > > > pat <- "([+-])? *(\\d\\S*)? *\\*? *([[:alpha:]]\\S*)?" > > ch <- format(fo[[3]]) > > m <- matrix(strapplyc(ch, pat)[[1]], 3) > > m <- m[, colSums(m != "") > 0] > > m[2, m[2, ] == ""] <- 1 > > m[3, m[3, ] == ""] <- "(Intercept)" > > co <- as.numeric(paste0(m[1, ], m[2, ])) > > v <- m[3, ] > > setNames(co, v) > > ## (Intercept) x1 x3 x1:x3 x2:x2 > > ## 2.0 -1.1 1.0 -1.0 0.2 > > On Tue, Aug 21, 2018 at 6:46 PM Paul Johnson <pauljoh...@gmail.com> wrote: > > > > > > Can you point me at any packages that allow users to write a > > > formula with coefficients? > > > > > > I want to write a data simulator that has a matrix X with lots > > > of columns, and then users can generate predictive models > > > by entering a formula that uses some of the variables, allowing > > > interactions, like > > > > > > y ~ 2 + 1.1 * x1 + 3 * x3 + 0.1 * x1:x3 + 0.2 * x2:x2 > > > > > > Currently, in the rockchalk package, I have a function simulates > > > data (genCorrelatedData2), but my interface to enter the beta > > > coefficients is poor. I assumed user would always enter 0's as > > > place holder for the unused coefficients, and the intercept is > > > always first. The unnamed vector is too confusing. I have them specify: > > > > > > c(2, 1.1, 0, 3, 0, 0, 0.2, ...) > > > > > > I the documentation I say (ridiculously) it is easy to figure out from > > > the examples, but it really isnt. > > > It function prints out the equation it thinks you intended, thats > > > minimum protection against user error, but still not very good: > > > > > > dat <- genCorrelatedData2(N = 10, rho = 0.0, > > > beta = c(1, 2, 1, 1, 0, 0.2, 0, 0, 0), > > > means = c(0,0,0), sds = c(1,1,1), stde = 0) > > > [1] "The equation that was calculated was" > > > y = 1 + 2*x1 + 1*x2 + 1*x3 > > > + 0*x1*x1 + 0.2*x2*x1 + 0*x3*x1 > > > + 0*x1*x2 + 0*x2*x2 + 0*x3*x2 > > > + 0*x1*x3 + 0*x2*x3 + 0*x3*x3 > > > + N(0,0) random error > > > > > > But still, it is not very good. > > > > > > As I look at this now, I realize expect just the vech, not the whole > > > vector > > > of all interaction terms, so it is even more difficult than I thought to > > > get the > > > correct input.Hence, I'd like to let the user write a formula. > > > > > > The alternative for the user interface is to have named coefficients. > > > I can more or less easily allow a named vector for beta > > > > > > beta = c("(Intercept)" = 1, "x1" = 2, "x2" = 1, "x3" = 1, "x2:x1" = 0.1) > > > > > > I could build a formula from that. That's not too bad. But I still think > > > it would be cool to allow formula input. > > > > > > Have you ever seen it done? > > > pj > > > -- > > > Paul E. Johnson http://pj.freefaculty.org > > > Director, Center for Research Methods and Data Analysis > > > http://crmda.ku.edu > > > > > > To write to me directly, please address me at pauljohn at ku.edu. > > > > > > ______________________________________________ > > > R-help@r-project.org mailing list -- To UNSUBSCRIBE and more, see > > > 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. > > > > > > > > -- > > Statistics & Software Consulting > > GKX Group, GKX Associates Inc. > > tel: 1-877-GKX-GROUP > > email: ggrothendieck at gmail.com > > > > -- > Paul E. Johnson http://pj.freefaculty.org > Director, Center for Research Methods and Data Analysis http://crmda.ku.edu > > To write to me directly, please address me at pauljohn at ku.edu. -- Statistics & Software Consulting GKX Group, GKX Associates Inc. tel: 1-877-GKX-GROUP email: ggrothendieck at gmail.com ______________________________________________ R-help@r-project.org mailing list -- To UNSUBSCRIBE and more, see 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.