> I am looking to understand why the keyword function can take a logical argument > (eg: x<4) and use that later inside the function's definition for logical evaluations
The "function" keyword does not take a logical argument. Let me show you some parallels: f <- function (x, y) {x+y} # R (set! f (lambda (x y) (+ x y))) ; Scheme f = (x, y) => { return x+y; }; // Javascript f = (x, y) => { return x+y; }; // C#, given a suitable declaration for f f = (x, y) -> { return x+y; } // Java, given a suitable declaration for f. lambda x y; x+y end -> f; // Pop-2, older than the others. In all of these, - there is something ('function', 'lambda', '=>', '->') that says "here is an anonymous function" - there is a list of zero or more parameters - there is a body which may contain statements and may also return a result. The keyword in itself does nothing. The compiler recognises the construction and generates code for a procedure that is bound to the environment where it is created, so that it can find variables other than those in its parameter list. When it comes to passing parameters to a function, there is nothing special about logical expressions in any of these languages. Now there *is* something about functions in R that is special. The S language (which R is based on) is the only one I am familiar with that combines two properties: - it is an imperative language with side effects to variables - it does not evaluate function arguments when they are passed but when they are first *used*. An obvious reason for this is to allow plotting methods to construct labels from their arguments and to allow model fitting methods to remember the form of the model. If you want argument evaluation delayed for any other reason, it is probably better to pass a function. See > ?integrate -- the first argument is a function, not a general expression > ?optim -- the second argument is a function, not a general expression (That is, the argument in question is an expression whose value must be a function, not an expression to be manipulated *textually* or as a formula.) On Sat, 7 Sep 2019 at 08:07, Golden, Shelby <gold...@njhealth.org> wrote: > Thank you all for your reply. I should clarify, that I am looking to > understand why the keyword function can take a logical argument (eg: x<4) > and use that later inside the function's definition for logical evaluations. > > Consider this example, which is a simplification of > getAnywhere(subset.data.frame): > x = data.frame("Col1" = c(1, 2, 3, 4, 5), "Col2" = c(6, 7, 8, 9, 10)) > test <- function(x, logic){ > e <- substitute(logic) > r <- eval(e, x, parent.frame()) > r[r] > } > > > Shelby > > > On 9/6/19, 1:02 PM, "R-help on behalf of Richard M. Heiberger" < > r-help-boun...@r-project.org on behalf of r...@temple.edu> wrote: > > You might also want to look at the codetools package, for example the > showTree function " Prints a Lisp-style representation of R > expression." > > > library(codetools) > > > showTree(quote(x %*% x)) > (%*% x x) > > showTree(quote(a+b)) > (+ a b) > > showTree(quote(y ~ a+b)) > (~ y (+ a b)) > > On Fri, Sep 6, 2019 at 2:30 PM Bert Gunter <bgunter.4...@gmail.com> > wrote: > > > > The following may be of use (it gives the parse tree of the text): > > > > > z <- as.list(parse(text = "function(x)x %*% x")) > > > z[[1]] > > function(x) x %*% x > > > z[[c(1,1)]] > > `function` > > > z[[c(1,2)]] > > $x > > > z[[c(1,3)]] > > x %*% x > > > z[[c(1,3,1)]] > > `%*%` > > > z[[c(1,3,2)]] > > x > > > z[[c(1,3,3)]] > > x > > > > > > Bert Gunter > > > > > > > > On Fri, Sep 6, 2019 at 10:14 AM Wang Jiefei <szwj...@gmail.com> > wrote: > > > > > If you are looking for an R code parser, I think the `parse` and > `eval` > > > function might be a good start point. See the example below. > > > > > > > parse(text="function(x)message(x)") > > > expression(function(x)message(x)) > > > > eval(parse(text="function(x)message(x)")) > > > function(x)message(x) > > > > > > Best, > > > Jiefei > > > > > > On Fri, Sep 6, 2019 at 12:55 PM Golden, Shelby < > gold...@njhealth.org> > > > wrote: > > > > > >> Hello Bert, > > >> > > >> Thank you for the reply and your clarifications. Yes, it might be > helpful > > >> to look into R’s formal grammar to see how “function” parses > input to > > >> delegate correct syntax. Is that accessible online? > > >> > > >> Thank you, > > >> Shelby > > >> > > >> > > >> From: Bert Gunter <bgunter.4...@gmail.com> > > >> Date: Friday, September 6, 2019 at 10:44 AM > > >> To: "Golden, Shelby" <gold...@njhealth.org> > > >> Cc: "r-help@R-project.org" <r-help@r-project.org>, "Gillenwater, > Lucas" < > > >> gillenwat...@njhealth.org> > > >> Subject: Re: [R] [R-devel] Source Code for function > > >> > > >> 1. This is a plain text list; all html is stripped. So there is > no red > > >> highlighting. > > >> > > >> 2. There is no "source code" for "function" -- it is a reserved > keyword. > > >> Or are you looking for R's formal grammar -- e.g. how it parses > input to > > >> determine correct syntax? > > >> > > >> > > >> > > >> Bert Gunter > > >> > > >> "The trouble with having an open mind is that people keep coming > along > > >> and sticking things into it." > > >> -- Opus (aka Berkeley Breathed in his "Bloom County" comic strip ) > > >> > > >> > > >> On Fri, Sep 6, 2019 at 8:51 AM Golden, Shelby < > gold...@njhealth.org > > >> <mailto:gold...@njhealth.org>> wrote: > > >> Hi all, > > >> > > >> I have been attempting to access the source code for the keyword > > >> “function” to better understand how it assigns and stores logical > inputs, > > >> like in the subset() [base] function. Does anyone know how I can > access the > > >> source code for this? > > >> > > >> For example, if I have > > >> norm <- function(x){ > > >> sqrt(x%*%x)) > > >> } > > >> I am looking for the source code for the “function” portion, > highlighted > > >> in red. > > >> > > >> Thank you for your time and assistance, > > >> Shelby Golden > > >> Lab Researcher Technician > > >> Dr. Russell Bowler’s Lab > > >> Department of Medicine > > >> National Jewish Health in Denver, CO > > >> Phone: (303) 270-2598 > > >> > > >> NOTICE: This email message is for the sole use of the intended > > >> recipient(s) and may contain confidential and privileged > information. Any > > >> unauthorized review, use, disclosure or distribution is > prohibited. 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