\HeaderA{eval}{Evaluate an (Unevaluated) Expression}{eval}
\methaliasA{eval.parent}{eval}{eval.parent}
\aliasA{evalq}{eval}{evalq}
\aliasA{local}{eval}{local}
\keyword{data}{eval}
\keyword{programming}{eval}
\begin{Description}\relax
Evaluate an \R{} expression in a specified environment.
\end{Description}
\begin{Usage}
\begin{verbatim}
eval(expr, envir = parent.frame(),
           enclos = if(is.list(envir) || is.pairlist(envir))
                       parent.frame() else baseenv())
evalq(expr, envir, enclos)
eval.parent(expr, n = 1)
local(expr, envir = new.env())
\end{verbatim}
\end{Usage}
\begin{Arguments}
\begin{ldescription}
\item[\code{expr}] an object to be evaluated.  See Details.
\item[\code{envir}] the \code{\LinkA{environment}{environment}} in which \code{expr} is to
be evaluated.  May also be \code{NULL}, a list, a data frame,
a pairlist or an integer as specified to \code{\LinkA{sys.call}{sys.call}}.
\item[\code{enclos}] Relevant when \code{envir} is a (pair)list or a data frame.
Specifies the enclosure, i.e., where \R{} looks for objects not found
in \code{envir}.  This can be \code{NULL} (interpreted as the base
package environment) or an environment.
\item[\code{n}] number of parent generations to go back
\end{ldescription}
\end{Arguments}
\begin{Details}\relax
\code{eval} evaluates the \code{expr} argument in the
environment specified by \code{envir} and returns the computed value.
If \code{envir} is not specified, then the default is
\code{\LinkA{parent.frame}{parent.frame}()} (the environment where the call to
\code{eval} was made).

Objects to be evaluated can be of types \code{\LinkA{call}{call}} or
\code{\LinkA{expression}{expression}} or \LinkA{symbol}{symbol} (when the symbol is looked
up in the current scope and its binding is evaluated), a \LinkA{promise}{promise}
or any of the basic types such as vectors, functions and environments
(which are returned unchanged).

The \code{evalq} form is equivalent to \code{eval(quote(expr), ...)}.
\code{eval} evaluates its first argument in the current scope
before passing it to the evaluator: \code{evalq} avoids this.

\code{eval.parent(expr, n)} is a shorthand for
\code{eval(expr, parent.frame(n))}.

If \code{envir} is a list (such as a data frame) or pairlist, it is
copied into a temporary environment (with enclosure \code{enclos}),
and the temporary environment is used for evaluation.  So if
\code{expr} changes any of the components named in the (pair)list, the
changes are lost.

If \code{envir} is \code{NULL} it is interpreted as an empty list so
no values could be found in \code{envir} and look-up goes directly to
\code{enclos}.

\code{local} evaluates an expression in a local environment.  It is
equivalent to \code{evalq} except that its default argument creates a
new, empty environment.  This is useful to create anonymous recursive
functions and as a kind of limited namespace feature since variables
defined in the environment are not visible from the outside.
\end{Details}
\begin{Note}\relax
Due to the difference in scoping rules, there are some differences
between \R{} and S in this area.  In particular, the default enclosure
in S is the global environment.

When evaluating expressions in data frames that has been passed as
argument to a function, the relevant enclosure is often the caller's
environment, i.e., one needs
\code{eval(x, data, parent.frame())}.
\end{Note}
\begin{References}\relax
Becker, R. A., Chambers, J. M. and Wilks, A. R. (1988)
\emph{The New S Language}.
Wadsworth \& Brooks/Cole. (\code{eval} only.)
\end{References}
\begin{SeeAlso}\relax
\code{\LinkA{expression}{expression}}, \code{quote}, \code{\LinkA{sys.frame}{sys.frame}},
\code{\LinkA{parent.frame}{parent.frame}}, \code{\LinkA{environment}{environment}}.

Further, \code{\LinkA{force}{force}} to \emph{force} evaluation, typically of
function arguments.
\end{SeeAlso}
\begin{Examples}
\begin{ExampleCode}
eval(2 ^ 2 ^ 3)
mEx <- expression(2^2^3); mEx; 1 + eval(mEx)
eval({ xx <- pi; xx^2}) ; xx

a <- 3 ; aa <- 4 ; evalq(evalq(a+b+aa, list(a=1)), list(b=5)) # == 10
a <- 3 ; aa <- 4 ; evalq(evalq(a+b+aa, -1), list(b=5))        # == 12

ev <- function() {
   e1 <- parent.frame()
   ## Evaluate a in e1
   aa <- eval(expression(a),e1)
   ## evaluate the expression bound to a in e1
   a <- expression(x+y)
   list(aa = aa, eval = eval(a, e1))
}
tst.ev <- function(a = 7) { x <- pi; y <- 1; ev() }
tst.ev()#-> aa : 7,  eval : 4.14

a <- list(a=3, b=4)
with(a, a <- 5) # alters the copy of a from the list, discarded.

##
## Example of evalq()
##

N <- 3
env <- new.env()
assign("N", 27, envir=env)
## this version changes the visible copy of N only, since the argument
## passed to eval is '4'.
eval(N <- 4, env)
N
get("N", envir=env)
## this version does the assignment in env, and changes N only there.
evalq(N <- 5, env)
N
get("N", envir=env)

##
## Uses of local()
##

# Mutual recursives.
# gg gets value of last assignment, an anonymous version of f.

gg <- local({
    k <- function(y)f(y)
    f <- function(x) if(x) x*k(x-1) else 1
})
gg(10)
sapply(1:5, gg)

# Nesting locals. a is private storage accessible to k
gg <- local({
    k <- local({
        a <- 1
        function(y){print(a <<- a+1);f(y)}
    })
    f <- function(x) if(x) x*k(x-1) else 1
})
sapply(1:5, gg)

ls(envir=environment(gg))
ls(envir=environment(get("k", envir=environment(gg))))
\end{ExampleCode}
\end{Examples}

