Data.table: [R-Forge #5580] invisible functions become visible in the j-expression

Created on 8 Jun 2014 · 8Comments · Source: Rdatatable/data.table

Submitted by: Eduard Antonyan; Assigned to: Nobody; R-Forge link

fn = function() {invisible(1:5)}

dt[, fn()]
# [1] 1 2 3 4 5

This is pretty annoying when using e.g. boxplot.

bug wontfix

Source

arunsrinivasan

Most helpful comment

No it is because R internally forces visibility on [ unlike with(). See FAQ 2.22.

arunsrinivasan on 12 May 2016

👍2

All 8 comments

@eantonya could you provide an example usage with boxplot?

The problem here is very much related to :=, as explained in FAQ 2.22.

The best we can do is to return invisibly _iff_ fn() returns a data.table. Else, we'll have to modify _all_ the print methods the same way how print.data.table does cleverly using .global$print.

I've added the label 'won't fix' for now. As it's a problem with the way base R forces visibility on [. If you agree, we can close this as such (unless there's an alternative we can come up with).

Tagging @mattdowle as well.

arunsrinivasan on 4 Aug 2014

I think this may be identical to #1471. Just found this.

MichaelChirico on 9 Jan 2016

It's too bad R doesn't return something with an "invisible" attribute when it is the result of invisible. That would make this easy.

MichaelChirico on 7 Feb 2016

Linking back to http://stackoverflow.com/a/36093766/403310 which links here. We could revisit FAQ 2.18 (the solution there didn't work for me when I just tested it) as well as 2.22 and over a year has passed since we last looked so another attempt may be due.

mattdowle on 18 Mar 2016

Hmm. Just noticed that with(dt, fn()) _doesn't_ print the output. I guess this is related to the whole .global$print issue more than anything, then.

MichaelChirico on 12 May 2016

No it is because R internally forces visibility on [ unlike with(). See FAQ 2.22.

arunsrinivasan on 12 May 2016

👍2

Can't the same global print suppression that works with := work here?