ggplot inside function not working despite deparse(substitute

Question

I have taken example from http://www.ling.upenn.edu/~joseff/rstudy/plots/graphics/phila_bar.R and a command from http://www.ling.upenn.edu/~joseff/rstudy/summer2010_ggplot2_intro.html (search for Gender:Name on this page) . I tried to put the command inside a function and tried calling the function without quotes around variable names, but it is not working despite using substitute(deparse...:

phil <- structure(list(Name = structure(c(1L, 1L, 1L, 1L, 1L, 1L, 1L, 
1L, 1L, 1L, 2L, 2L, 2L, 2L, 2L, 2L, 2L, 2L, 2L, 2L, 3L, 3L, 3L, 
3L, 3L, 3L, 3L, 3L, 3L, 3L, 4L, 4L, 4L, 4L, 4L, 4L, 4L, 4L, 4L, 
4L), .Label = c("Bucks County", "Delaware County", "Montgomery County", 
"Philadelphia County"), class = "factor"), Gender = structure(c(1L, 
1L, 1L, 1L, 1L, 2L, 2L, 2L, 2L, 2L, 1L, 1L, 1L, 1L, 1L, 2L, 2L, 
2L, 2L, 2L, 1L, 1L, 1L, 1L, 1L, 2L, 2L, 2L, 2L, 2L, 1L, 1L, 1L, 
1L, 1L, 2L, 2L, 2L, 2L, 2L), .Label = c("Female", "Male"), class = "factor"), 
    value = c(15288L, 43054L, 25788L, 62853L, 33622L, 50792L, 
    27184L, 71321L, 43593L, 94877L, 32442L, 54872L, 43751L, 18346L, 
    25545L, 87732L, 46656L, 63640L, 39675L, 25468L, 43636L, 34558L, 
    59923L, 26979L, 17550L, 27492L, 71404L, 39946L, 50107L, 96580L, 
    24957L, 17433L, 31468L, 40585L, 53239L, 21899L, 62542L, 38352L, 
    47008L, 31485L), Level = structure(c(1L, 4L, 2L, 5L, 3L, 
    3L, 1L, 4L, 2L, 5L, 3L, 5L, 4L, 1L, 2L, 5L, 3L, 4L, 2L, 1L, 
    4L, 3L, 5L, 2L, 1L, 1L, 4L, 2L, 3L, 5L, 2L, 1L, 3L, 4L, 5L, 
    1L, 5L, 3L, 4L, 2L), .Label = c("LessHigh", "High", "SomeAssoc", 
    "Bachelors", "GradProf"), class = "factor")), .Names = c("Name", 
"Gender", "value", "Level"), class = "data.frame", row.names = c(3463L, 
3465L, 3466L, 3467L, 3468L, 3471L, 3473L, 3475L, 3478L, 3479L, 
8741L, 8742L, 8743L, 8746L, 8750L, 8751L, 8752L, 8754L, 8756L, 
8757L, 22925L, 22926L, 22927L, 22928L, 22929L, 22933L, 22937L, 
22938L, 22939L, 22940L, 25844L, 25845L, 25846L, 25847L, 25849L, 
25854L, 25855L, 25856L, 25858L, 25860L))


testfn = function(gdf, Level, value, Gender, Name){
    print(
    ggplot(gdf, aes(deparse(substitute(Level)), deparse(substitute(value)),
         color = deparse(substitute(Name)),
         linetype = deparse(substitute(Gender)),
         group = deparse(substitute(Gender)):deparse(substitute(Name))))+
       geom_point()+
       geom_line() 
    )
}

testfn(phil, Level, value, Gender, Name)
Error in deparse(substitute(Gender)):deparse(substitute(Name)) : 
  NA/NaN argument
In addition: Warning messages:
1: In deparse(substitute(Gender)):deparse(substitute(Name)) :
  numerical expression has 4 elements: only the first used
2: In deparse(substitute(Gender)):deparse(substitute(Name)) :
  numerical expression has 5 elements: only the first used
3: In eval(expr, envir, enclos) : NAs introduced by coercion
4: In eval(expr, envir, enclos) : NAs introduced by coercion
5: In deparse(substitute(Gender)):deparse(substitute(Name)) :
  numerical expression has 4 elements: only the first used
6: In deparse(substitute(Gender)):deparse(substitute(Name)) :
  numerical expression has 5 elements: only the first used
7: In eval(expr, envir, enclos) : NAs introduced by coercion
8: In eval(expr, envir, enclos) : NAs introduced by coercion
>

Where could be the problem. Thanks for your help.

In `testfn` you have `gdf` as a parameter but aren't using it (prbly shld replace `phil` with it). Did you try removing the `deparse` calls? Also, that `group=` line prbly wont' work and `ggplot` isn't going to like the `linetype` switching like that even w/proper syntax. — hrbrmstr, May 01 '14 at 01:36
Thanks for pointing this out. I have corrected it in the function above. But the error remains exactly the same. It must be occurring before gdf is accessed. I have actually put in the deparse part as suggested on this page: http://stackoverflow.com/questions/23382822/ggplot-does-not-work-in-function — rnso, May 01 '14 at 01:49
Is there any particular reason you aren't using `aes_string`? — joran, May 01 '14 at 01:59

score 0 · Accepted Answer · answered May 01 '14 at 02:03

Are you sure? (looks like removing the deparse made some of the things I thought might not work, actually work, too :-)

testfn = function(gdf, Level, value, Gender, Name) {

  gg <- ggplot(gdf, aes(x = substitute(Level),
                        y = substitute(value),
                        color = substitute(Name),
                        linetype = substitute(Gender),
                        group = substitute(Gender):substitute(Name)
  ))

  gg <- gg + geom_point()
  gg <- gg + geom_line() 

  print(gg)

}

testfn(phil, Level, value, Gender, Name)

enter image description here

ggplot inside function not working despite deparse(substitute

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