From jfox at mcmaster.ca  Sat Feb 11 16:38:39 2006
From: jfox at mcmaster.ca (John Fox)
Date: Sat, 11 Feb 2006 10:38:39 -0500
Subject: [Rd] Arguments of 'transform'
In-Reply-To: <x2pslucjt2.fsf@turmalin.kubism.ku.dk>
Message-ID: <20060211153839.NIYJ27612.tomts16-srv.bellnexxia.net@JohnDesktop8300>

Dear Peter and Bill,

How about changing the current "x argument to something like "x."? That
should make the problem that Bill points out less likely and still be
backwards compatible with using "x" in the call to transform().

Regards,
 John

--------------------------------
John Fox
Department of Sociology
McMaster University
Hamilton, Ontario
Canada L8S 4M4
905-525-9140x23604
http://socserv.mcmaster.ca/jfox 
-------------------------------- 

> -----Original Message-----
> From: r-devel-bounces at r-project.org 
> [mailto:r-devel-bounces at r-project.org] On Behalf Of Peter Dalgaard
> Sent: Saturday, February 11, 2006 4:43 AM
> To: Bill.Venables at csiro.au
> Cc: r-devel at stat.math.ethz.ch; p.dalgaard at biostat.ku.dk
> Subject: Re: [Rd] Arguments of 'transform'
> 
> <Bill.Venables at csiro.au> writes:
> 
> > If you would like a 10 second R puzzle, you might like to 
> think about 
> > this one:
> > 
> > 
> > > g <- expand.grid(long = 130:140, lat = -(10:25)) gp <- 
> transform(g, 
> > > x = long, y = lat)
> > Error in transform(g, x = long, y = lat) : 
> >         object "long" not found
> > 
> > 
> > I don't expect this hasn't come up before, but I can't find 
> mention of 
> > it.  I suggest that to minimise this little stumbling block for 
> > beginners (and others) we either
> > 
> > 	change the name of the principal argument in transform from 'x'
> > to, say '.x' (or even 'data' as it is in 'with' for example)  OR
> > 
> > 	at least put a note in the help file for 'transform' in 
> the 'Detalis' 
> > section to say
> >      
> > 	*** NOTE: The only tag name unavailable to be used is 'x'. ***
> 
> Yes it has come up before (surprisingly rarely though), and 
> you're probably right although changing argument names of 
> functions should never be taken lightly as there could be 
> people using the current ones. 
> 
> > 
> > Just another little seed.
> 
> ...which is connected to my grievances with attach() &c the other day.
> Something about transform() just isn't The Right Way.
> 
> -- 
>    O__  ---- Peter Dalgaard             ?ster Farimagsgade 5, Entr.B
>   c/ /'_ --- Dept. of Biostatistics     PO Box 2099, 1014 Cph. K
>  (*) \(*) -- University of Copenhagen   Denmark          Ph:  
> (+45) 35327918
> ~~~~~~~~~~ - (p.dalgaard at biostat.ku.dk)                  FAX: 
> (+45) 35327907
> 
> ______________________________________________
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[Rd] Arguments of 'transform'
John Fox