[datatable-help] eval(eval issue

Sun Aug 14 13:22:50 CEST 2011

Thanks Matthew,

Updated to 1.6.4 from 1.6.2 and the error started. Using R 2.13.0.

The issue (now somewhat of a non-issue) arises because I was mistakenly passing a character vector instead of a factor. When a factor gets passed there
is no problem. I'm not completely sure why this was working previously and now there's a problem. It did, however, root out an inconsistency in my data
that needed fixing :-)

Here's a example:

### Some toy data

my.factor.levels <- c('Catch Up: Yes', 'Catch Up: No', 'Keep Up: Yes', 'Keep Up: No')
my.dt1 <- data.table(X= sample(my.factor.levels, 100, replace=TRUE), Y=rep(1:2, each=50), Z=sample(c("M", "F"), 100, replace=TRUE))
my.dt2 <- my.dt1
my.dt2$X <- as.character(my.dt2$X)

### Utility function

percent_in_category <- function (x, in.categories, of.categories, result.digits = 1) 
{
    if (!is.list(in.categories)) 
        in.categories <- list(in.categories)
    if (!is.list(of.categories)) 
        of.categories <- list(of.categories)
    tmp.result <- list()
    tmp <- summary(x[!is.na(x)])
    for (i in seq(length(in.categories))) {
        tmp.result[[i]] <- round(100 * sum(tmp[in.categories[[i]]])/sum(tmp[of.categories[[i]]]), 
            digits = result.digits)
    }
    return(unlist(tmp.result))
}

### data.table call (my.dt2) that produces error

my.dt1[,percent_in_category(X,list('Catch Up: Yes'), list(c('Catch Up: Yes', 'Catch Up: No', 'Keep Up: Yes', 'Keep Up: No'))), by=list(Y, Z)]

my.dt2[,percent_in_category(X,list('Catch Up: Yes'), list(c('Catch Up: Yes', 'Catch Up: No', 'Keep Up: Yes', 'Keep Up: No'))), by=list(Y, Z)]

Damian Betebenner
Center for Assessment
PO Box 351
Dover, NH   03821-0351

Phone (office): (603) 516-7900
Phone (cell): (857) 234-2474
Fax: (603) 516-7910

dbetebenner at nciea.org
www.nciea.org

-----Original Message-----
From: Matthew Dowle [mailto:mdowlenoreply at virginmedia.com] On Behalf Of Matthew Dowle
Sent: Sunday, August 14, 2011 5:49 AM
To: Damian Betebenner
Cc: datatable-help at lists.r-forge.r-project.org
Subject: Re: [datatable-help] eval(eval issue

Not sure why there's an extra level of quote() inside the string it's
parsing; i.e., instead of :

ListExpr <- parse(text=paste("quote(as.list(c(",
paste(unlist(tmp.sgp.summaries), collapse=", "),")))",sep=""))       

ByExpr <- parse(text=paste("quote(list(", paste(sgp.groups.to.summarize,
collapse=", "), "))", sep=""))

tmp <- tmp.dt[, eval(eval(ListExpr)), by=eval(eval(ByExpr))]

try removing the quote() as follows (also changing the as.list to list
to make a considerable speed improvement as per wiki example 4) :

ListExpr <- parse(text=paste("list(", paste(unlist(tmp.sgp.summaries),
collapse=", "),")",sep=""))       

ByExpr <- parse(text=paste("list(", paste(sgp.groups.to.summarize,
collapse=", "), "))", sep="")

tmp <- tmp.dt[, eval(ListExpr), by=eval(ByExpr)]

If that doesn't fix it then we'll need a reproducible example please
that we can paste into R. Should be possible to create one in this case
as it's a type error. Also a confirm that you're using v.1.6.4 and which
version of R please as this kind of error can be affected by that.

Matthew

On Sat, 2011-08-13 at 20:49 -0500, Damian Betebenner wrote:
> As an update. The issue that seems to be throwing the error is the
> call to a function “percent_in_category” that has single quoted
> expressions in the ListExpr:
> 
>  
> 
> Browse[1]> ListExpr
> 
> expression(quote(as.list(c(median_na(SGP), median_na(SGP_TARGET),
> percent_in_category(CATCH_UP_KEEP_UP_STATUS, list(c('Catch Up: Yes',
> 'Keep Up: Yes')), list(c('Catch Up: Yes', 'Catch Up: No', 'Keep Up:
> Yes', 'Keep Up: No'))), num_non_missing(SGP),
> percent_in_category(ACHIEVEMENT_LEVEL, list(c('Proficient',
> 'Advanced')), list(c('Unsatisfactory', 'Partially Proficient',
> 'Proficient', 'Advanced'))), num_non_missing(ACHIEVEMENT_LEVEL),
> percent_in_category(ACHIEVEMENT_LEVEL_PRIOR, list(c('Proficient',
> 'Advanced')), list(c('Unsatisfactory', 'Partially Proficient',
> 'Proficient', 'Advanced'))),
> num_non_missing(ACHIEVEMENT_LEVEL_PRIOR)))))
> 
>  
> 
> When I isolate in my testing, it gives the same error:
> 
>  
> 
> Error during wrapup: invalid 'type' (character) of argument
> 
>  
> 
>  
> 
> Anybody know of a workaround for this or a simplification of the
> approach I’m taking.
> 
>  
> 
> thanks,
> 
>  
> 
> Damian
> 
>  
> 
>  
> 
>  
> 
> Damian Betebenner
> 
> Center for Assessment
> 
> PO Box 351
> 
> Dover, NH   03821-0351
> 
>  
> 
> Phone (office): (603) 516-7900
> 
> Phone (cell): (857) 234-2474
> 
> Fax: (603) 516-7910
> 
>  
> 
> dbetebenner at nciea.org
> 
> www.nciea.org
> 
>  
> 
>  
> 
> 
>  
> 
> From: Damian Betebenner 
> Sent: Saturday, August 13, 2011 9:05 PM
> To: 'datatable-help at lists.r-forge.r-project.org'
> Subject: eval(eval issue
> 
> 
>  
> 
> All,
> 
>  
> 
> A line of code that used to work version 1.6.2 is now throwing an
> error so I thought I’d see if anyone knows exactly what is going on.
> The error that I now get is:
> 
>  
> 
> Error during wrapup: invalid 'type' (character) of argument
> 
>  
> 
> The call that is generating the error is:
> 
>  
> 
> tmp <- tmp.dt[, eval(eval(ListExpr)), by=eval(eval(ByExpr))]
> 
>  
> 
>  
> 
> It is essentially a 
> 
>  
> 
> x[,j=ListExpr,by=ByExpr] call but the j is a long of custom functions
> and the ByExpr is a list of variables in x that changes via a loop.
> 
>  
> 
> Currently (what is broken), the ListExpr and ByExpr are created using
> the following:
> 
>  
> 
>       ListExpr <- parse(text=paste("quote(as.list(c(",
> paste(unlist(tmp.sgp.summaries), collapse=", "),")))",sep=""))       
> 
>       ByExpr <- parse(text=paste("quote(list(",
> paste(sgp.groups.to.summarize, collapse=", "), "))", sep=""))
> 
>  
> 
> For example, ListExpr is:
> 
>  
> 
> Browse[1]> ListExpr
> 
> expression(quote(as.list(c(median_na(SGP), median_na(SGP_TARGET),
> percent_in_category(CATCH_UP_KEEP_UP_STATUS, list(c('Catch Up: Yes',
> 'Keep Up: Yes')), list(c('Catch Up: Yes', 'Catch Up: No', 'Keep Up:
> Yes', 'Keep Up: No'))), num_non_missing(SGP),
> percent_in_category(ACHIEVEMENT_LEVEL, list(c('Proficient',
> 'Advanced')), list(c('Unsatisfactory', 'Partially Proficient',
> 'Proficient', 'Advanced'))), num_non_missing(ACHIEVEMENT_LEVEL),
> percent_in_category(ACHIEVEMENT_LEVEL_PRIOR, list(c('Proficient',
> 'Advanced')), list(c('Unsatisfactory', 'Partially Proficient',
> 'Proficient', 'Advanced'))),
> num_non_missing(ACHIEVEMENT_LEVEL_PRIOR)))))
> 
>  
> 
>  
> 
> And ByExpr is:
> 
>  
> 
> Browse[1]> ByExpr
> 
> expression(quote(list(STATE, CONTENT_AREA, YEAR, GRADE,
> STATE_ENROLLMENT_STATUS, CATCH_UP_KEEP_UP_STATUS_INITIAL)))
> 
>  
> 
>  
> 
> I’m sure this can be simplified.
> 
>  
> 
> Any help greatly appreciated,
> 
>  
> 
> Damian
> 
>  
> 
>  
> 
>  
> 
>  
> 
> Damian Betebenner
> 
> Center for Assessment
> 
> PO Box 351
> 
> Dover, NH   03821-0351
> 
>  
> 
> Phone (office): (603) 516-7900
> 
> Phone (cell): (857) 234-2474
> 
> Fax: (603) 516-7910
> 
>  
> 
> dbetebenner at nciea.org
> 
> www.nciea.org
> 
>  
> 
>  
> 
>  
> 
> 
> _______________________________________________
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