R help - Feb 2010 - match.call to obtain the name of a function

Within a function I'd often like to obtain a text string equal to the name
of the function.

One use for this: To generate a filename for use in pdf(). This enables me to
keep track of which function generated a particular graphic came.

match.call() puts parentheses at the end of the name. I don't want
parentheses in a filename.

The following kludgey function gives the desired result.
> JANK
function(x, y) {
    one<-deparse(match.call())
    functionName<-gsub("\\(.*", "", one, perl=T)
    cat("The name of this function is ", functionName, "\n")
}
> JANK(55, pi^2)
The name of this function is  JANK 
> JANK()
The name of this function is  JANK

Is there not a more direct way? To paraphrase Douglas Bates, the above approach
is like the diner scene in the movie "Five Easy Pieces". You get an
order of toast by first ordering a chicken sandwich and then telling the
waitress to hold (that is, to subtract) the meat, lettuce, and mayonnaise.

Thanks for any insights

Jacob Wegelin

Try this:

foo <- function()
	sprintf("The name of this function is %s", gettext(match.call()))

On Fri, Feb 26, 2010 at 5:22 PM, Jacob Wegelin <jacobwegelin at
fastmail.fm> wrote:
>
> Within a function I'd often like to obtain a text string equal to the
name
> of the function.
>
> One use for this: To generate a filename for use in pdf(). This enables me
> to keep track of which function generated a particular graphic came.
>
> match.call() puts parentheses at the end of the name. I don't want
> parentheses in a filename.
>
> The following kludgey function gives the desired result.
>
>> JANK
>
> function(x, y) {
> ? one<-deparse(match.call())
> ? functionName<-gsub("\\(.*", "", one, perl=T)
> ? cat("The name of this function is ", functionName,
"\n")
> }
>>
>> JANK(55, pi^2)
>
> The name of this function is ?JANK
>>
>> JANK()
>
> The name of this function is ?JANK
>
> Is there not a more direct way? To paraphrase Douglas Bates, the above
> approach is like the diner scene in the movie "Five Easy Pieces".
You get an
> order of toast by first ordering a chicken sandwich and then telling the
> waitress to hold (that is, to subtract) the meat, lettuce, and mayonnaise.
>
> Thanks for any insights
>
> Jacob Wegelin
>
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-- 
Henrique Dallazuanna
Curitiba-Paran?-Brasil
25? 25' 40" S 49? 16' 22" O