In this case you want to use a 'list' since you want character and numerics returned:
> JOBSTAT<-rnorm(10) > > > # new function that does not return 'x' > > CInew <-function(x,alpha){ + list(variable = deparse(substitute(x)), mean=mean(x), alpha = alpha) + } > > CInew(JOBSTAT, 0.05) $variable [1] "JOBSTAT" $mean [1] -1.113034 $alpha [1] 0.05 > > On Sat, Aug 27, 2011 at 6:58 PM, Dan Abner <dan.abne...@gmail.com> wrote: > > > I want to it return: > > Variable Mean alpha > JOBSTAT -0.1240675 0.05 > > How do I get the function parameter x to equal the name of the object that > is specified as x as a character string? > > > On Sat, Aug 27, 2011 at 6:41 PM, jim holtman <jholt...@gmail.com> wrote: >> >> The function is doing exactly what you are telling it to do. You have >> 'cbind(x, mean(x), alpha)' which is creating a matrix where the first >> column is all the values in 'x' and the next two are the recycled >> values of mean and alpha. Is this what you want: >> >> > JOBSAT<-rnorm(10) >> > >> > CI<-function(x,alpha){ >> + cbind(x,mean=mean(x),alpha) >> + } >> > CI(JOBSAT,.05) >> x mean alpha >> [1,] 0.8592324 -0.1240675 0.05 >> [2,] -0.3128362 -0.1240675 0.05 >> [3,] -2.0042218 -0.1240675 0.05 >> [4,] -0.4675232 -0.1240675 0.05 >> [5,] -0.5776273 -0.1240675 0.05 >> [6,] 1.5696650 -0.1240675 0.05 >> [7,] 0.8070593 -0.1240675 0.05 >> [8,] -0.8257525 -0.1240675 0.05 >> [9,] 0.6167636 -0.1240675 0.05 >> [10,] -0.9054347 -0.1240675 0.05 >> > >> > # new function that does not return 'x' >> > >> > CInew <-function(x,alpha){ >> + c(mean=mean(x), alpha = alpha) >> + } >> > CInew(JOBSAT,.05) >> mean alpha >> -0.1240675 0.0500000 >> >> >> On Sat, Aug 27, 2011 at 5:38 PM, Dan Abner <dan.abne...@gmail.com> wrote: >> > Hi everyone, >> > >> > How does one place an object name (in this case a vector name) into >> > another >> > object (while essentially masking the values of the first object? >> > >> > For example: >> > >> >> JOBSAT<-rnorm(40) >> >> >> >> CI<-function(x,alpha){ >> > + result<-cbind(x,mean=mean(x),alpha) >> > + print(result) >> > + } >> >> CI(JOBSAT,.05) >> > >> > I want this to return: >> > >> > Variable mean alpha >> > JOBSTAT 0.02844131 0.05 >> > Instead, I am getting: >> > >> > x mean alpha >> > [1,] -1.07694997 0.02844131 0.05 >> > [2,] -1.13910850 0.02844131 0.05 >> > [3,] -0.21922026 0.02844131 0.05 >> > [4,] 0.38618008 0.02844131 0.05 >> > [5,] -1.24303799 0.02844131 0.05 >> > [6,] -0.74903752 0.02844131 0.05 >> > [7,] 0.96136975 0.02844131 0.05 >> > [8,] -0.38891237 0.02844131 0.05 >> > [9,] -0.20195871 0.02844131 0.05 >> > [10,] 0.78104508 0.02844131 0.05 >> > [11,] 0.87468778 0.02844131 0.05 >> > [12,] -1.89131480 0.02844131 0.05 >> > >> > >> > Thank you! >> > >> > Dan >> > >> > [13,] 0.74377795 0.02844131 0.05 >> > [14,] -0.60006285 0.02844131 0.05 >> > [15,] -0.76661652 0.02844131 0.05 >> > [16,] 1.06005258 0.02844131 0.05 >> > [17,] 0.02173877 0.02844131 0.05 >> > [18,] -0.36558980 0.02844131 0.05 >> > [19,] -1.92481588 0.02844131 0.05 >> > [20,] -0.50337507 0.02844131 0.05 >> > [21,] 0.82205272 0.02844131 0.05 >> > [22,] 1.59277572 0.02844131 0.05 >> > [23,] 0.59965718 0.02844131 0.05 >> > >> > [[alternative HTML version deleted]] >> > >> > ______________________________________________ >> > R-help@r-project.org mailing list >> > https://stat.ethz.ch/mailman/listinfo/r-help >> > PLEASE do read the posting guide >> > http://www.R-project.org/posting-guide.html >> > and provide commented, minimal, self-contained, reproducible code. >> > >> >> >> >> -- >> Jim Holtman >> Data Munger Guru >> >> What is the problem that you are trying to solve? > > -- Jim Holtman Data Munger Guru What is the problem that you are trying to solve? ______________________________________________ R-help@r-project.org mailing list https://stat.ethz.ch/mailman/listinfo/r-help PLEASE do read the posting guide http://www.R-project.org/posting-guide.html and provide commented, minimal, self-contained, reproducible code.