ggplot adds backticks to labels (regression?)

[idavydov]

ggplot adds backticks to labels (see x-axis label). The behavior was different in previous versions (e.g., 2.2.1).

library(ggplot2)
d <- data.frame(rnorm(100))
colnames(d) <- 'a b'
ggplot(d, aes(`a b`)) + geom_histogram()
#> `stat_bin()` using `bins = 30`. Pick better value with `binwidth`.

Created on 2018-11-01 by the reprex package (v0.2.0).

[yutannihilation]

Thanks. This seems because we use quo_text() for making labels.

ggplot2/R/aes-calculated.r

Line 94 in 1c09bae

x <- rlang::quo_text(strip_dots(mapping))

But, we use quo_name() for the same purpose in other places and this seems more appropriate to me. I will create a PR.

ggplot2/R/plot-construction.r

Line 126 in 1c09bae

labels <- lapply(object, function(x) if (is.null(x)) x else rlang::quo_name(x))

ggplot2/R/quick-plot.r

Line 90 in 1c09bae

xlab <- rlang::quo_name(exprs$x)

Now we see these inconsistent results:

library(ggplot2)

d <- data.frame(`a b` = 1, check.names = FALSE)

patchwork::wrap_plots(
  ggplot(d, aes(`a b`)) + geom_bar(),
  ggplot(d) + aes(`a b`) + geom_bar()
)

^{Created on 2018-11-05 by the reprex package (v0.2.1)}

[hadley]

Yes, quo_name() sounds right to me. Not sure why you get the inconsistency 😞

[clauswilke]

@yutannihilation Are you sure you have identified the correct line in the code that creates the backticks? I don't understand where they come from. With the current ggplot2 (using quo_text()), I don't see backticks in the output from make_labels():

m <- ggplot2::aes(`a b`)
ggplot2:::make_labels(m)
#> $x
#> [1] "a b"

^{Created on 2018-11-05 by the reprex package (v0.2.1)}

(As an aside, if we have a function make_labels() then shouldn't it be used here:

ggplot2/R/plot-construction.r

Line 126 in 1c09bae

labels <- lapply(object, function(x) if (is.null(x)) x else rlang::quo_name(x))

instead of using a one-off solution for making labels?)

[yutannihilation]

Oh, really? Curious... This is what I see:

m <- ggplot2::aes(`a b`)
ggplot2:::make_labels(m)
#> $x
#> [1] "`a b`"

^{Created on 2018-11-06 by the reprex package (v0.2.1)}

Session info

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[yutannihilation]

if we have a function make_labels() then shouldn't it be used here

Agreed!

[clauswilke]

I currently have rlang_0.2.2.9001, so it seems to be caused by a recent change in rlang (sometime in the last three months).

[yutannihilation]

Yes, this is one of the breaking changes introduced in v0.3.0:

quo_text() now deparses non-syntactic symbols with backticks:
(https://rlang.r-lib.org/news/index.html#breaking-changes)

[smouksassi]

it might be good to also think about facets currently if we facet by a variable that has back ticks we don't see the back ticks:

facet_grid( ~ `facet name`,labeller=label_both)

unless we are doing some computations over the facets reprex below:
(feel free to delete if irrelevant to this issue)

library(ggplot2)
library(egg)
#> Loading required package: gridExtra
set.seed(1234)
d <- data.frame(rnorm(50))
colnames(d) <- 'a b'
d$'facet name'<- 100
d$facetname <- 100
ggarrange(
ggplot(d, aes(`a b`)) + geom_histogram()+
  facet_grid( ~ sqrt(`facet name`),labeller=label_both),

ggplot(d, aes(`a b`)) + geom_histogram()+
  facet_grid( ~ `facet name`,labeller=label_both),

ggplot(d, aes(`a b`)) + geom_histogram()+
  facet_grid( ~ sqrt(facetname),labeller=label_both),

ggplot(d, aes(`a b`)) + geom_histogram()+
  facet_grid( ~ facetname,labeller=label_both)

)
#> `stat_bin()` using `bins = 30`. Pick better value with `binwidth`.
#> `stat_bin()` using `bins = 30`. Pick better value with `binwidth`.
#> `stat_bin()` using `bins = 30`. Pick better value with `binwidth`.
#> `stat_bin()` using `bins = 30`. Pick better value with `binwidth`.

^{Created on 2018-11-06 by the reprex package (v0.2.1)}

[yutannihilation]

@smouksassi Sorry, I don't get your point. Which one is against your expectation? If it's sqrt(`facet name`), I think this backticks are inevitable since this is an expression, not a symbol.

[smouksassi]

ggplot(d, aes(`a b`)) + geom_histogram()+
  facet_grid( ~ `facet name`,labeller=label_both)

here you get no backticks in the facet variable name but back ticks on the x axis label
As long as we have consistency between facets, y, x mapping etc. we should be fine.
Just wanted to bring this to make sure we do not forget consistency with facets handling

[yutannihilation]

Thanks for clarification, backticks in the axis labels will disappear after #2981, so as far as the example you provided, the results will be consistent. (I'm not sure if they are always (and should be) consistent, though...)

[lock]

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