Henrik Bengtsson
2023-Mar-19 16:08 UTC
[Rd] WISH: Optional mechanism preventing var <<- value from assigning non-existing variable
I'd like to be able to prevent the <<- assignment operator ("super assignment") from assigning to the global environment unless the variable already exists and is not locked. If it does not exist or is locked, I'd like an error to be produced. This would allow me to evaluate expressions with this temporarily set to protect against mistakes. For example, I'd like to do something like: $ R --vanilla> exists("a")[1] FALSE> options(check.superassignment = TRUE) > local({ a <<- 1 })Error: object 'a' not found> a <- 0 > local({ a <<- 1 }) > a[1] 1> rm("a") > options(check.superassignment = FALSE) > local({ a <<- 1 }) > exists("a")[1] TRUE BACKGROUND:>From help("<<-") we have:"The operators <<- and ->> are normally only used in functions, and cause a search to be made through parent environments for an existing definition of the variable being assigned. If such a variable is found (and its binding is not locked) then its value is redefined, otherwise assignment takes place in the global environment." I argue that it's unfortunate that <<- fallbacks back to assigning to the global environment if the variable does not already exist. Unfortunately, it has become a "go to" solution for many to use it that way. Sometimes it is intended, sometimes it's a mistake. We find it also in R packages on CRAN, even if 'R CMD check' tries to detect when it happens (but it's limited to do so from run-time examples and tests). It's probably too widely used for us to change to a more strict behavior permanent. The proposed R option allows me, as a developer, to evaluate an R expression with the strict behavior, especially if I don't trust the code. With 'check.superassignment = TRUE' set, a developer would have to first declare the variable in the global environment for <<- to assign there. This would remove the fallback "If such a variable is found (and its binding is not locked) then its value is redefined, otherwise assignment takes place in the global environment" in the current design. For those who truly intends to assign to the global, could use assign(var, value, envir = globalenv()) or globalenv()[[var]] <- value. 'R CMD check' could temporarily set 'check.superassignment = TRUE' during checks. If we let environment variable 'R_CHECK_SUPERASSIGNMENT' set the default value of option 'check.superassignment' on R startup, it would be possible to check packages optionally this way, but also to run any "non-trusted" R script in the "strict" mode. TEASER: Here's an example why using <<- for assigning to the global environment is a bad idea: This works: $ R --vanilla> y <- lapply(1:3, function(x) { if (x > 2) keep <<- x; x^2 }) > keep > [1] 3This doesn't work: $ R --vanilla> library(purrr) > y <- lapply(1:3, function(x) { if (x > 2) keep <<- x; x^2 })Error in keep <<- x : cannot change value of locked binding for 'keep' But, if we "declare" the variable first, it works: $ R --vanilla> library(purrr) > keep <- 0 > y <- lapply(1:3, function(x) { if (x > 2) keep <<- x; x^2 }) > keep > [1] 3/Henrik PS. Does the <<- operator have an official name? Hadley calls it "super assignment" in 'Advanced R' (https://adv-r.hadley.nz/environments.html), which is where I got it from.
Duncan Murdoch
2023-Mar-19 17:53 UTC
[Rd] WISH: Optional mechanism preventing var <<- value from assigning non-existing variable
I think that should be the default behaviour. It's pretty late to get that into R 4.3.0, but I think your proposal (with check.superassignment = FALSE being the default) could make it in, and 4.4.0 could change the default to TRUE. Duncan On 19/03/2023 12:08 p.m., Henrik Bengtsson wrote:> I'd like to be able to prevent the <<- assignment operator ("super > assignment") from assigning to the global environment unless the > variable already exists and is not locked. If it does not exist or is > locked, I'd like an error to be produced. This would allow me to > evaluate expressions with this temporarily set to protect against > mistakes. > > For example, I'd like to do something like: > > $ R --vanilla >> exists("a") > [1] FALSE > >> options(check.superassignment = TRUE) >> local({ a <<- 1 }) > Error: object 'a' not found > >> a <- 0 >> local({ a <<- 1 }) >> a > [1] 1 > >> rm("a") >> options(check.superassignment = FALSE) >> local({ a <<- 1 }) >> exists("a") > [1] TRUE > > > BACKGROUND: > > From help("<<-") we have: > > "The operators <<- and ->> are normally only used in functions, and > cause a search to be made through parent environments for an existing > definition of the variable being assigned. If such a variable is found > (and its binding is not locked) then its value is redefined, otherwise > assignment takes place in the global environment." > > I argue that it's unfortunate that <<- fallbacks back to assigning to > the global environment if the variable does not already exist. > Unfortunately, it has become a "go to" solution for many to use it > that way. Sometimes it is intended, sometimes it's a mistake. We > find it also in R packages on CRAN, even if 'R CMD check' tries to > detect when it happens (but it's limited to do so from run-time > examples and tests). > > It's probably too widely used for us to change to a more strict > behavior permanent. The proposed R option allows me, as a developer, > to evaluate an R expression with the strict behavior, especially if I > don't trust the code. > > With 'check.superassignment = TRUE' set, a developer would have to > first declare the variable in the global environment for <<- to assign > there. This would remove the fallback "If such a variable is found > (and its binding is not locked) then its value is redefined, otherwise > assignment takes place in the global environment" in the current > design. For those who truly intends to assign to the global, could > use assign(var, value, envir = globalenv()) or globalenv()[[var]] <- > value. > > 'R CMD check' could temporarily set 'check.superassignment = TRUE' > during checks. If we let environment variable > 'R_CHECK_SUPERASSIGNMENT' set the default value of option > 'check.superassignment' on R startup, it would be possible to check > packages optionally this way, but also to run any "non-trusted" R > script in the "strict" mode. > > > TEASER: > > Here's an example why using <<- for assigning to the global > environment is a bad idea: > > This works: > > $ R --vanilla >> y <- lapply(1:3, function(x) { if (x > 2) keep <<- x; x^2 }) >> keep >> [1] 3 > > > This doesn't work: > > $ R --vanilla >> library(purrr) >> y <- lapply(1:3, function(x) { if (x > 2) keep <<- x; x^2 }) > Error in keep <<- x : cannot change value of locked binding for 'keep' > > > But, if we "declare" the variable first, it works: > > $ R --vanilla >> library(purrr) >> keep <- 0 >> y <- lapply(1:3, function(x) { if (x > 2) keep <<- x; x^2 }) >> keep >> [1] 3 > > /Henrik > > PS. Does the <<- operator have an official name? Hadley calls it > "super assignment" in 'Advanced R' > (https://adv-r.hadley.nz/environments.html), which is where I got it > from. > > ______________________________________________ > R-devel at r-project.org mailing list > https://stat.ethz.ch/mailman/listinfo/r-devel
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