Save excel file with dataframe name if in a function

Question

Simple question but how do you save the name of a dataframe as the excel filename if it's in a function?

export_origin <-  function(df){
 df1 <- unite(df, variable, c(Reaction.Type, Trial, Actual.Total.Seconds)) 
 df2<- dcast(df1, X.nm.~variable, value.var = "X.A.")
 fname= paste(df, "xls", sep = ".")
 write.xlsx2(df2, file = fname, col.names = TRUE)}

I want fname=df.xls with whatever the df name is that I input but it saves it as the observations within the dataframe as the name.

If you want to get the name as a string use substitute(df) — akrun
– akrun, Commented Jun 14, 2017 at 6:46
What other packages are you using? I guess unite is from dplyr and dcast is from reshape2. But where does write.xlsx2 come from? I think you might want to add more details. — www
– www, Commented Jun 14, 2017 at 6:47

akrun · Accepted Answer · 2017-06-14 06:49:26Z

2

We can use deparse(substitute

export_origin <-  function(df){
    v1 <- deparse(substitute(df))
    df1 <- unite(df, variable, c(Reaction.Type, Trial, Actual.Total.Seconds)) 
   df2<- dcast(df1, X.nm.~variable, value.var = "X.A.")
   fname= paste(v1, "xls", sep = ".")
   write.xlsx2(df2, file = fname, col.names = TRUE)}
  }

To make this reproducible,

export_origin <-  function(df){
    v1 <- deparse(substitute(df))
    paste(v1, "xls", sep=".")
 }

export_origin(df)
#[1] "df.xls"

answered Jun 14, 2017 at 6:49

akrun

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1 Comment

amrrs Over a year ago

That's a brilliant answer that I've never came across! Thanks!

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