functionals is a lightweight toolkit for functional programming in R
with built-in support for parallelism and progress bars. It extends base
R’s functional tools with a consistent, minimal API for mapping,
walking, reducing, cross-validating, and repeating computations across
lists, data frames, and grouped data.
As of 0.5.1, progress reporting is completion-driven across
sequential, multicore, and cluster-backed execution. When pb = TRUE,
the bar advances as individual tasks finish rather than at internal
chunk boundaries. Rendering is throttled for large workloads so the
console keeps a single lightweight status bar instead of redrawing on
every task.
| Function | Main arguments | Output type | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
fmap() |
.x, .f, ncores, pb |
list | Map .f over elements of .x |
fmapn() |
.l, .f, ncores, pb |
list | Map .f over multiple aligned lists |
fmapr() |
.df, .f, ncores, pb |
list | Map .f over each row of a data frame (as named list) |
fmapc() |
.df, .f, ncores, pb |
list | Map .f(column, name) over each column |
fmapg() |
.df, .f, by, ncores, pb |
list | Map .f(group_df) over groups defined by a column |
floop() |
.x, .f, ..., ncores, pb |
list | General-purpose functional loop with side-effects |
fwalk() |
.x, .f, ncores, pb |
NULL | Map .f over .x for side-effects only (invisible return) |
frepeat() |
times, expr, .x, ncores, pb |
list/vector | Repeat a call/expression multiple times |
fcv() |
.splits, .f, ncores, pb |
list | Map .f over resampling splits from rsample::vfold_cv() |
freduce() |
.x, .f, ... |
scalar/list | Reduce .x using a binary function .f |
fcompose() |
any number of functions f1, f2, ... |
function | Compose multiple functions: f1(f2(...(x))) |
fapply() |
.x, .f, ncores, pb, ... |
list | Core internal utility for applying a function over .x |
| Task | functionals Example |
purrr Example |
Base R |
|---|---|---|---|
| Map square | fmap(1:5, function(x) x^2) |
map(1:5, function(x) x^2) |
lapply(1:5, function(x) x^2) |
| Map over N arguments | fmapn(list(1:3, 4:6, 7:9), function(x, y, z) x + y + z) |
pmap(list(1:3, 4:6, 7:9), function(x, y, z) ...) |
Map(function(x, y, z) ..., 1:3, 4:6, 7:9) |
| Map over data frame rows | fmapr(df, function(row) row$a + row$b) |
pmap(df[c("a", "b")], function(x, y) x + y) |
apply(df, 1, function(row) ...) |
| Map over data frame cols | fmapc(df, function(x, name) mean(x)) |
imap(df, function(x, name) mean(x)) |
lapply(df, mean) |
| Grouped map | fmapg(df, f, by = "group") |
map(split(df, df$group), f) |
lapply(split(df, df$group), f) |
| General-purpose loop | floop(1:3, function(x) cat(x)) |
(manual recursion) | for (x in 1:3) cat(x) |
| Parallel + progress | fmap(x, f, ncores = 4, pb = TRUE) |
(future_map(x, f)) with progressr |
parLapply(cl, x, f) or mclapply() |
| Repeat simulation | frepeat(100, function() rnorm(1)) |
(manual loop) | replicate(100, rnorm(1)) |
| Walk with side effects | fwalk(letters, function(x) cat(x)) |
walk(letters, function(x) cat(x)) |
lapply(letters, cat) |
| Reduce | freduce(1:5, `+`) |
reduce(1:5, `+`) |
Reduce(`+`, 1:5) |
| Compose functions | fcompose(sqrt, abs)(-4) |
compose(sqrt, abs)(-4) |
(function(x) sqrt(abs(x)))(-4) |
While functionals draws inspiration from purrr, it intentionally
avoids supporting the formula-based anonymous function syntax (e.g.,
~ .x + 1) for now.
This decision is based on:
- Keeping dependencies minimal (no reliance on
rlang) - Avoiding non-standard evaluation that can confuse new users
- Encouraging explicit, readable code using
function(x) { ... }style
We may consider adding tidy evaluation support (e.g., with quosures or
rlang::as_function) in a future release. However, the current
philosophy favors clarity and simplicity.
# from CRAN
install.packages("functionals")
# from github
remotes::install_github("ielbadisy/functionals")library(functionals)
library(purrr)
library(furrr)
#> Loading required package: future
library(pbapply)
library(dplyr)
#>
#> Attaching package: 'dplyr'
#> The following objects are masked from 'package:stats':
#>
#> filter, lag
#> The following objects are masked from 'package:base':
#>
#> intersect, setdiff, setequal, union
library(rsample)
library(bench)
plan(multisession)
# utility to compare results
compare_outputs <- function(label, x, y) {
cat("\n", label, "->", if (identical(x, y)) "dentical\n" else if (isTRUE(all.equal(x, y))) "nearly equal\n" else "different\n")
}
# strip names and convert to plain numeric vector
as_vec <- function(x) as.numeric(unlist(x, use.names = FALSE))x1 <- fmap(1:5, function(x) x^2)
x2 <- lapply(1:5, function(x) x^2)
x3 <- map(1:5, ~ .x^2)
x4 <- future_map(1:5, ~ .x^2)
x5 <- pblapply(1:5, function(x) x^2)
compare_outputs("Element-wise: base", x1, x2)
#>
#> Element-wise: base -> dentical
compare_outputs("Element-wise: purrr", x1, x3)
#>
#> Element-wise: purrr -> dentical
compare_outputs("Element-wise: furrr", x1, x4)
#>
#> Element-wise: furrr -> dentical
compare_outputs("Element-wise: pbapply", x1, x5)
#>
#> Element-wise: pbapply -> denticalslow <- function(x) {
Sys.sleep(c(0.12, 0.24, 0.36, 0.48)[[x]])
x^2
}
fmap(1:4, slow, ncores = 2, pb = TRUE)
#> [ ] 0% 0/4 elapsed 00:00 [======= ] 25% 1/4 elapsed 00:00 eta 00:00 [=============== ] 50% 2/4 elapsed 00:00 eta 00:00 [====================== ] 75% 3/4 elapsed 00:00 eta 00:00 [==============================] 100% 4/4 elapsed 00:01 eta 00:00
#> [[1]]
#> [1] 1
#>
#> [[2]]
#> [1] 4
#>
#> [[3]]
#> [1] 9
#>
#> [[4]]
#> [1] 16The progress bar advances on each completed task, shows elapsed time and ETA, and throttles redraws for large workloads so intermediate counts stay readable without repainting the console on every iteration.
x1 <- fmapn(list(1:3, 4:6), function(x, y) x + y)
x2 <- Map(`+`, 1:3, 4:6)
x3 <- pmap(list(1:3, 4:6), ~ ..1 + ..2)
x4 <- future_pmap(list(1:3, 4:6), ~ ..1 + ..2)
compare_outputs("Multi-input: base", x1, x2)
#>
#> Multi-input: base -> dentical
compare_outputs("Multi-input: purrr", x1, x3)
#>
#> Multi-input: purrr -> dentical
compare_outputs("Multi-input: furrr", x1, x4)
#>
#> Multi-input: furrr -> denticalx1 <- fmapr(mtcars, function(row) row$mpg + row$cyl)
rowlist <- lapply(seq_len(nrow(mtcars)), function(i) as.list(mtcars[i, ]))
x2 <- lapply(rowlist, function(row) row$mpg + row$cyl)
x3 <- map(rowlist, function(row) row$mpg + row$cyl)
compare_outputs("Row-wise: base", as_vec(x1), as_vec(x2))
#>
#> Row-wise: base -> dentical
compare_outputs("Row-wise: purrr", as_vec(x1), as_vec(x3))
#>
#> Row-wise: purrr -> denticalx1 <- fmapc(mtcars, function(col, name) mean(col))
x2 <- sapply(mtcars, mean)
x3 <- imap(mtcars, ~ mean(.x))
x4 <- future_imap(mtcars, ~ mean(.x))
compare_outputs("Column-wise: base", x1, as.list(x2))
#>
#> Column-wise: base -> dentical
compare_outputs("Column-wise: purrr", x1, x3)
#>
#> Column-wise: purrr -> dentical
compare_outputs("Column-wise: furrr", x1, x4)
#>
#> Column-wise: furrr -> denticalx1 <- fmapg(iris, function(df) colMeans(df[1:4]), by = "Species")
x2 <- lapply(split(iris, iris$Species), function(df) colMeans(df[1:4]))
x3 <- map(split(iris, iris$Species), ~ colMeans(.x[1:4]))
x4 <- future_map(split(iris, iris$Species), ~ colMeans(.x[1:4]))
compare_outputs("Group-wise: base", x1, x2)
#>
#> Group-wise: base -> dentical
compare_outputs("Group-wise: purrr", x1, x3)
#>
#> Group-wise: purrr -> dentical
compare_outputs("Group-wise: furrr", x1, x4)
#>
#> Group-wise: furrr -> denticalcat("\nSide-effects:\n")
#>
#> Side-effects:
fwalk(1:3, print)
#> [1] 1
#> [1] 2
#> [1] 3x1 <- floop(1:5, function(x) x^2, .capture = TRUE)
x2 <- lapply(1:5, function(x) x^2)
x3 <- {
out <- list()
for (i in 1:5) out[[i]] <- i^2
out
}
compare_outputs("floop() vs lapply()", x1, x2)
#>
#> floop() vs lapply() -> dentical
compare_outputs("floop() vs for()", x1, x3)
#>
#> floop() vs for() -> denticalcat("\nGeneral-purpose loop (side-effects):\n")
#>
#> General-purpose loop (side-effects):
floop(1:3, function(x) cat("floop says:", x, "\n"), pb = TRUE, .capture = FALSE)
#> [ ] 0% 0/3 elapsed 00:00 floop says: 1
#> [========== ] 33% 1/3 elapsed 00:00 eta 00:00 floop says: 2
#> [==================== ] 67% 2/3 elapsed 00:00 eta 00:00 floop says: 3
#> [==============================] 100% 3/3 elapsed 00:00 eta 00:00
cat("for-loop equivalent:\n")
#> for-loop equivalent:
for (x in 1:3) cat("for says:", x, "\n")
#> for says: 1
#> for says: 2
#> for says: 3splits <- vfold_cv(iris, v = 3)$splits
fit_model <- function(split) mean(analysis(split)$Sepal.Length)
x1 <- fcv(splits, fit_model)
x2 <- lapply(splits, fit_model)
compare_outputs("CV map: base", x1, x2)
#>
#> CV map: base -> denticalx1 <- frepeat(times = 10, expr = rnorm(1))
x2 <- as.list(replicate(10, rnorm(1)))
x3 <- as.list(pbreplicate(10, rnorm(1)))
cat("\nRepeat: Results not comparable (randomized output)\n")
#>
#> Repeat: Results not comparable (randomized output)x1 <- freduce(1:5, `+`)
x2 <- Reduce(`+`, 1:5)
x3 <- reduce(1:5, `+`)
compare_outputs("Reduce: base", x1, x2)
#>
#> Reduce: base -> dentical
compare_outputs("Reduce: purrr", x1, x3)
#>
#> Reduce: purrr -> denticalx1 <- fcompose(sqrt, abs)(-4)
x2 <- (function(x) sqrt(abs(x)))(-4)
x3 <- compose(sqrt, abs)(-4)
compare_outputs("Compose: base", x1, x2)
#>
#> Compose: base -> dentical
compare_outputs("Compose: purrr", x1, x3)
#>
#> Compose: purrr -> dentical