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by uryga 1731 days ago

  y %>% f(x, ., z)  ===  f(x, y, z)
R lets you do macro-ish things at at runtime [1], and `.` is a valid variable name [2]. so %>% can just evaluate the AST of its right argument in an environment with `. = a`.

(it's probably a bit more involved because %>% also supports

  a %>% f(b)  ===  f(a, b)
in which case %>% has to do some AST surgery to splice another argument in front of `b`.)

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[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fexpr

[2] think `_` in python etc. R uses dots instead of underscores