Author: Mark Padgham
Date: 2026-08-27

# Non-Standard Evaluation

#### Mark Padgham

#### 2026-08-27

This vignette briefly illustrates some examples of tracing parameters evaluated in non-standard ways. This first examples demonstrates that parameter values are captured at the initial point of function entry.

    eval_x_late_NSE <- function (x, y) {
        y <- 10 * y
        eval (substitute (x))
    }
    inject_tracer (eval_x_late_NSE)
    eval_x_late_NSE (y + 1, 2:3)
    #> [1] 21 31
    res <- load_traces ()
    res$par_name
    #> [1] "x" "y"
    res$uneval
    #> $x
    #> [1] "y + 1"
    #>
    #> $y
    #> [1] "2:3"
    res$eval
    #> $x
    #> [1] 3 4
    #>
    #> $y
    #> [1] 2 3

The parameter `x` is evaluated at the point of function entry as `y + 1` which, with a value of `y = 2:3`, gives the expected evaluated result of `x = 3:4`, while the function ultimately returns the expected values of `(10 * 2:3) + 1`, or `21 31`, because the first line of `y <- 10 * y` is evaluated prior to substituting the value passed for `x` of `y + 1`.

The second example specifies a default value of `x = y + 1`, with the actual call passing no value, and thus having `"NULL"` in the unevaluated version, while evaluated versions remain identical.

    clear_traces () # clear all preceding traces
    eval_x_late_standard <- function (x = y + 1, y, z = y ~ x) {
        y <- 10 * y
        x
    }
    inject_tracer (eval_x_late_standard)
    eval_x_late_standard (, 2:3)
    #> [1] 3 4
    res <- load_traces ()
    res$par_name
    #> [1] "x" "y" "z"
    res$uneval
    #> $x
    #> [1] "NULL"
    #>
    #> $y
    #> [1] "2:3"
    #>
    #> $z
    #> [1] "NULL"
    res$eval
    #> $x
    #> [1] 3 4
    #>
    #> $y
    #> [1] 2 3
    #>
    #> $z
    #> y ~ x
    #> <environment: 0x55c05da913a8>

The traces produced by `typetracer` also include a column, `formal`, which contains the default values specified in the definition of `eval_x_late_standard()`:

    res$formal
    #> $x
    #> y + 1
    #>
    #> $y
    #>
    #>
    #> $z
    #> y ~ x

Those three columns of `formal`, `uneval`, and `eval` thus contain all definitions for all parameters passed to the function environment, in the three possible states of:

1. Formal or default values (by definition, in an unevaluated state);
2. The unevaluated state of any specified parameters; and
3. The equivalent versions evaluated within the function environmental.