R help - Aug 2010 - Constructing arguments for plotmath

Colleagues,

I am encountering difficulty adding formatted text to a graphic.  Specifically,
I want to add a superscript in the middle of a text string but I would like to
format the text string on the fly.  The commands:
	plot(1,1)
	ARG	<- bquote('TEXT'^'\u00ae')
	mtext(ARG, line=-2, side=1)
yield the desired output.  

However, my goal is to paste together a string, then pass it to mtext.  For
example:
	plot(1,1)
	PART1	<- 'TEXT'
	PART2	<- '^'
	PART3	<- '\u00ae'
	ARG	<- paste(PART1, PART2, PART3)
	mtext(bquote(.(ARG)), line=-2, side=1)		## bquote(ARG) also does not work
This does not work -- the unprocessed string:
	 TEXT ^ ?
is printed.

Obviously, I don't understand some aspect of passing arguments to bquote. 
Of note, I tried "expression" instead of bquote but I was not able to
get the registered sign ('\u00ae') to appear as a superscript.

Any help would be appreciated.  

Dennis
	
(R 2.11; OS X [platform should not be an issue here])

Dennis Fisher MD
P < (The "P Less Than" Company)
Phone: 1-866-PLessThan (1-866-753-7784)
Fax: 1-866-PLessThan (1-866-753-7784)
www.PLessThan.com

On Aug 1, 2010, at 11:03 AM, Dennis Fisher wrote:
> Colleagues,
>
> I am encountering difficulty adding formatted text to a graphic.   
> Specifically, I want to add a superscript in the middle of a text  
> string but I would like to format the text string on the fly.  The  
> commands:
> 	plot(1,1)
> 	ARG	<- bquote('TEXT'^'\u00ae')
> 	mtext(ARG, line=-2, side=1)
> yield the desired output.
>
> However, my goal is to paste together a string, then pass it to  
> mtext.  For example:
> 	plot(1,1)
> 	PART1	<- 'TEXT'
> 	PART2	<- '^'
> 	PART3	<- '\u00ae'
> 	ARG	<- paste(PART1, PART2, PART3)
> 	mtext(bquote(.(ARG)), line=-2, side=1)		## bquote(ARG) also does  
> not work
> This does not work -- the unprocessed string:
> 	 TEXT ^ ?
> is printed.
>
> Obviously, I don't understand some aspect of passing arguments to  
> bquote.  Of note, I tried "expression" instead of bquote but I
was
> not able to get the registered sign ('\u00ae') to appear as a  
> superscript.
I'm would be embarrassed to state the number of failed attempts I made  
with substitute, expression,, as.expression and parse before eventual  
success, but here's what finally "worked".

plot(1,1);
  mtext(bquote(.(PART1)^.(PART3)), line=-2, side=1)

  I think trying to substitute for "^" will require a different  
approach, since sticking a series of .() calls seems to be  
unacceptable to the interpreter :

## "Does not work"
  plot(1,1);
    mtext(bquote(.(PART1).(PART2).(PART3)), line=-2, side=1)
#Error: unexpected symbol in "         mtext(bquote(.(PART1)."
>
> Any help would be appreciated.
>
> Dennis
> 	
> (R 2.11; OS X [platform should not be an issue here])
I cannot assess, since that is also my platform.

-- 
David Winsemius, MD
West Hartford, CT

On Sun, Aug 1, 2010 at 11:03 AM, Dennis Fisher <fisher at plessthan.com>
wrote:
> Colleagues,
>
> I am encountering difficulty adding formatted text to a graphic.
?Specifically, I want to add a superscript in the middle of a text string but I
would like to format the text string on the fly. ?The commands:
> ? ? ? ?plot(1,1)
> ? ? ? ?ARG ? ? <- bquote('TEXT'^'\u00ae')
> ? ? ? ?mtext(ARG, line=-2, side=1)
> yield the desired output.
>
> However, my goal is to paste together a string, then pass it to mtext. ?For
example:
> ? ? ? ?plot(1,1)
> ? ? ? ?PART1 ? <- 'TEXT'
> ? ? ? ?PART2 ? <- '^'
> ? ? ? ?PART3 ? <- '\u00ae'
> ? ? ? ?ARG ? ? <- paste(PART1, PART2, PART3)
> ? ? ? ?mtext(bquote(.(ARG)), line=-2, side=1) ? ? ? ? ?## bquote(ARG) also
does not work
> This does not work -- the unprocessed string:
> ? ? ? ? TEXT ^ ?
> is printed.
>
> Obviously, I don't understand some aspect of passing arguments to
bquote. ?Of note, I tried "expression" instead of bquote but I was not
able to get the registered sign ('\u00ae') to appear as a superscript.
>
> Any help would be appreciated.
Try this (noting the backquotes around \u00ae since otherwise its not
a valid R name):

x <- "TEXT^`\u00ae`"
plot(0, main =  parse(text = x))

I failed many times until Gabor gave his solution. The magic tick!

PART1 <- 'TEXT'
PART2 <- '^'
PART3 <- '`\u00ae`'
ARG <- paste(PART1, PART2, PART3) 
text(2,8, parse(text=str))

-----
A R learner.
-- 
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