I can only provide a general comment due to the lack of a truereprex. See the FAQ. Although pieces are here, the exact place throwing the error would have to be reverse engineer. Also, a reprex runs in a fresh session when produced, so there's nothing else in .Global to confuse things. But, not all is lost.
then_num <- 0.230397902792453
then_num |> str()
#> num 0.23
now_char <- formatC(then_num,format = "e", digits = 4)
now_char |> str()
#> chr "2.3040e-01"
See what happened? A variable that was typeof double was converted by formatC() to typeof character.
Most of us grew up used to combining data with presentation—just print out the spreadsheet. But in formatting in R we usually change the nature of a data object so as to lose the ability to perform calculations on it without first converting it back, which isn't always possible. (That is, to be pedantic, the operation lacks idempotence.) Also, when this is attempted to part of a data frame column, it flips the type of all numeric rows to character.
What to do? Use a formatter
library(gt)
library(knitr)
d <- data.frame(original = 0.230397902792453)
d |> gt()
html {
font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, Oxygen, Ubuntu, Cantarell, 'Helvetica Neue', 'Fira Sans', 'Droid Sans', Arial, sans-serif;
}
#ehzmsyuslj .gt_table {
display: table;
border-collapse: collapse;
margin-left: auto;
margin-right: auto;
color: #333333;
font-size: 16px;
font-weight: normal;
font-style: normal;
background-color: #FFFFFF;
width: auto;
border-top-style: solid;
border-top-width: 2px;
border-top-color: #A8A8A8;
border-right-style: none;
border-right-width: 2px;
border-right-color: #D3D3D3;
border-bottom-style: solid;
border-bottom-width: 2px;
border-bottom-color: #A8A8A8;
border-left-style: none;
border-left-width: 2px;
border-left-color: #D3D3D3;
}
#ehzmsyuslj .gt_heading {
background-color: #FFFFFF;
text-align: center;
border-bottom-color: #FFFFFF;
border-left-style: none;
border-left-width: 1px;
border-left-color: #D3D3D3;
border-right-style: none;
border-right-width: 1px;
border-right-color: #D3D3D3;
}
#ehzmsyuslj .gt_caption {
padding-top: 4px;
padding-bottom: 4px;
}
#ehzmsyuslj .gt_title {
color: #333333;
font-size: 125%;
font-weight: initial;
padding-top: 4px;
padding-bottom: 4px;
padding-left: 5px;
padding-right: 5px;
border-bottom-color: #FFFFFF;
border-bottom-width: 0;
}
#ehzmsyuslj .gt_subtitle {
color: #333333;
font-size: 85%;
font-weight: initial;
padding-top: 0;
padding-bottom: 6px;
padding-left: 5px;
padding-right: 5px;
border-top-color: #FFFFFF;
border-top-width: 0;
}
#ehzmsyuslj .gt_bottom_border {
border-bottom-style: solid;
border-bottom-width: 2px;
border-bottom-color: #D3D3D3;
}
#ehzmsyuslj .gt_col_headings {
border-top-style: solid;
border-top-width: 2px;
border-top-color: #D3D3D3;
border-bottom-style: solid;
border-bottom-width: 2px;
border-bottom-color: #D3D3D3;
border-left-style: none;
border-left-width: 1px;
border-left-color: #D3D3D3;
border-right-style: none;
border-right-width: 1px;
border-right-color: #D3D3D3;
}
#ehzmsyuslj .gt_col_heading {
color: #333333;
background-color: #FFFFFF;
font-size: 100%;
font-weight: normal;
text-transform: inherit;
border-left-style: none;
border-left-width: 1px;
border-left-color: #D3D3D3;
border-right-style: none;
border-right-width: 1px;
border-right-color: #D3D3D3;
vertical-align: bottom;
padding-top: 5px;
padding-bottom: 6px;
padding-left: 5px;
padding-right: 5px;
overflow-x: hidden;
}
#ehzmsyuslj .gt_column_spanner_outer {
color: #333333;
background-color: #FFFFFF;
font-size: 100%;
font-weight: normal;
text-transform: inherit;
padding-top: 0;
padding-bottom: 0;
padding-left: 4px;
padding-right: 4px;
}
#ehzmsyuslj .gt_column_spanner_outer:first-child {
padding-left: 0;
}
#ehzmsyuslj .gt_column_spanner_outer:last-child {
padding-right: 0;
}
#ehzmsyuslj .gt_column_spanner {
border-bottom-style: solid;
border-bottom-width: 2px;
border-bottom-color: #D3D3D3;
vertical-align: bottom;
padding-top: 5px;
padding-bottom: 5px;
overflow-x: hidden;
display: inline-block;
width: 100%;
}
#ehzmsyuslj .gt_group_heading {
padding-top: 8px;
padding-bottom: 8px;
padding-left: 5px;
padding-right: 5px;
color: #333333;
background-color: #FFFFFF;
font-size: 100%;
font-weight: initial;
text-transform: inherit;
border-top-style: solid;
border-top-width: 2px;
border-top-color: #D3D3D3;
border-bottom-style: solid;
border-bottom-width: 2px;
border-bottom-color: #D3D3D3;
border-left-style: none;
border-left-width: 1px;
border-left-color: #D3D3D3;
border-right-style: none;
border-right-width: 1px;
border-right-color: #D3D3D3;
vertical-align: middle;
text-align: left;
}
#ehzmsyuslj .gt_empty_group_heading {
padding: 0.5px;
color: #333333;
background-color: #FFFFFF;
font-size: 100%;
font-weight: initial;
border-top-style: solid;
border-top-width: 2px;
border-top-color: #D3D3D3;
border-bottom-style: solid;
border-bottom-width: 2px;
border-bottom-color: #D3D3D3;
vertical-align: middle;
}
#ehzmsyuslj .gt_from_md > :first-child {
margin-top: 0;
}
#ehzmsyuslj .gt_from_md > :last-child {
margin-bottom: 0;
}
#ehzmsyuslj .gt_row {
padding-top: 8px;
padding-bottom: 8px;
padding-left: 5px;
padding-right: 5px;
margin: 10px;
border-top-style: solid;
border-top-width: 1px;
border-top-color: #D3D3D3;
border-left-style: none;
border-left-width: 1px;
border-left-color: #D3D3D3;
border-right-style: none;
border-right-width: 1px;
border-right-color: #D3D3D3;
vertical-align: middle;
overflow-x: hidden;
}
#ehzmsyuslj .gt_stub {
color: #333333;
background-color: #FFFFFF;
font-size: 100%;
font-weight: initial;
text-transform: inherit;
border-right-style: solid;
border-right-width: 2px;
border-right-color: #D3D3D3;
padding-left: 5px;
padding-right: 5px;
}
#ehzmsyuslj .gt_stub_row_group {
color: #333333;
background-color: #FFFFFF;
font-size: 100%;
font-weight: initial;
text-transform: inherit;
border-right-style: solid;
border-right-width: 2px;
border-right-color: #D3D3D3;
padding-left: 5px;
padding-right: 5px;
vertical-align: top;
}
#ehzmsyuslj .gt_row_group_first td {
border-top-width: 2px;
}
#ehzmsyuslj .gt_summary_row {
color: #333333;
background-color: #FFFFFF;
text-transform: inherit;
padding-top: 8px;
padding-bottom: 8px;
padding-left: 5px;
padding-right: 5px;
}
#ehzmsyuslj .gt_first_summary_row {
border-top-style: solid;
border-top-color: #D3D3D3;
}
#ehzmsyuslj .gt_first_summary_row.thick {
border-top-width: 2px;
}
#ehzmsyuslj .gt_last_summary_row {
padding-top: 8px;
padding-bottom: 8px;
padding-left: 5px;
padding-right: 5px;
border-bottom-style: solid;
border-bottom-width: 2px;
border-bottom-color: #D3D3D3;
}
#ehzmsyuslj .gt_grand_summary_row {
color: #333333;
background-color: #FFFFFF;
text-transform: inherit;
padding-top: 8px;
padding-bottom: 8px;
padding-left: 5px;
padding-right: 5px;
}
#ehzmsyuslj .gt_first_grand_summary_row {
padding-top: 8px;
padding-bottom: 8px;
padding-left: 5px;
padding-right: 5px;
border-top-style: double;
border-top-width: 6px;
border-top-color: #D3D3D3;
}
#ehzmsyuslj .gt_striped {
background-color: rgba(128, 128, 128, 0.05);
}
#ehzmsyuslj .gt_table_body {
border-top-style: solid;
border-top-width: 2px;
border-top-color: #D3D3D3;
border-bottom-style: solid;
border-bottom-width: 2px;
border-bottom-color: #D3D3D3;
}
#ehzmsyuslj .gt_footnotes {
color: #333333;
background-color: #FFFFFF;
border-bottom-style: none;
border-bottom-width: 2px;
border-bottom-color: #D3D3D3;
border-left-style: none;
border-left-width: 2px;
border-left-color: #D3D3D3;
border-right-style: none;
border-right-width: 2px;
border-right-color: #D3D3D3;
}
#ehzmsyuslj .gt_footnote {
margin: 0px;
font-size: 90%;
padding-left: 4px;
padding-right: 4px;
padding-left: 5px;
padding-right: 5px;
}
#ehzmsyuslj .gt_sourcenotes {
color: #333333;
background-color: #FFFFFF;
border-bottom-style: none;
border-bottom-width: 2px;
border-bottom-color: #D3D3D3;
border-left-style: none;
border-left-width: 2px;
border-left-color: #D3D3D3;
border-right-style: none;
border-right-width: 2px;
border-right-color: #D3D3D3;
}
#ehzmsyuslj .gt_sourcenote {
font-size: 90%;
padding-top: 4px;
padding-bottom: 4px;
padding-left: 5px;
padding-right: 5px;
}
#ehzmsyuslj .gt_left {
text-align: left;
}
#ehzmsyuslj .gt_center {
text-align: center;
}
#ehzmsyuslj .gt_right {
text-align: right;
font-variant-numeric: tabular-nums;
}
#ehzmsyuslj .gt_font_normal {
font-weight: normal;
}
#ehzmsyuslj .gt_font_bold {
font-weight: bold;
}
#ehzmsyuslj .gt_font_italic {
font-style: italic;
}
#ehzmsyuslj .gt_super {
font-size: 65%;
}
#ehzmsyuslj .gt_footnote_marks {
font-style: italic;
font-weight: normal;
font-size: 75%;
vertical-align: 0.4em;
}
#ehzmsyuslj .gt_asterisk {
font-size: 100%;
vertical-align: 0;
}
#ehzmsyuslj .gt_indent_1 {
text-indent: 5px;
}
#ehzmsyuslj .gt_indent_2 {
text-indent: 10px;
}
#ehzmsyuslj .gt_indent_3 {
text-indent: 15px;
}
#ehzmsyuslj .gt_indent_4 {
text-indent: 20px;
}
#ehzmsyuslj .gt_indent_5 {
text-indent: 25px;
}
d |>
gt() |>
fmt_scientific(columns = original, decimals = 4)
| original |
|---|
| 0.2303979 |
html {
font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, Oxygen, Ubuntu, Cantarell, 'Helvetica Neue', 'Fira Sans', 'Droid Sans', Arial, sans-serif;
}
#ouobxzjjyi .gt_table {
display: table;
border-collapse: collapse;
margin-left: auto;
margin-right: auto;
color: #333333;
font-size: 16px;
font-weight: normal;
font-style: normal;
background-color: #FFFFFF;
width: auto;
border-top-style: solid;
border-top-width: 2px;
border-top-color: #A8A8A8;
border-right-style: none;
border-right-width: 2px;
border-right-color: #D3D3D3;
border-bottom-style: solid;
border-bottom-width: 2px;
border-bottom-color: #A8A8A8;
border-left-style: none;
border-left-width: 2px;
border-left-color: #D3D3D3;
}
#ouobxzjjyi .gt_heading {
background-color: #FFFFFF;
text-align: center;
border-bottom-color: #FFFFFF;
border-left-style: none;
border-left-width: 1px;
border-left-color: #D3D3D3;
border-right-style: none;
border-right-width: 1px;
border-right-color: #D3D3D3;
}
#ouobxzjjyi .gt_caption {
padding-top: 4px;
padding-bottom: 4px;
}
#ouobxzjjyi .gt_title {
color: #333333;
font-size: 125%;
font-weight: initial;
padding-top: 4px;
padding-bottom: 4px;
padding-left: 5px;
padding-right: 5px;
border-bottom-color: #FFFFFF;
border-bottom-width: 0;
}
#ouobxzjjyi .gt_subtitle {
color: #333333;
font-size: 85%;
font-weight: initial;
padding-top: 0;
padding-bottom: 6px;
padding-left: 5px;
padding-right: 5px;
border-top-color: #FFFFFF;
border-top-width: 0;
}
#ouobxzjjyi .gt_bottom_border {
border-bottom-style: solid;
border-bottom-width: 2px;
border-bottom-color: #D3D3D3;
}
#ouobxzjjyi .gt_col_headings {
border-top-style: solid;
border-top-width: 2px;
border-top-color: #D3D3D3;
border-bottom-style: solid;
border-bottom-width: 2px;
border-bottom-color: #D3D3D3;
border-left-style: none;
border-left-width: 1px;
border-left-color: #D3D3D3;
border-right-style: none;
border-right-width: 1px;
border-right-color: #D3D3D3;
}
#ouobxzjjyi .gt_col_heading {
color: #333333;
background-color: #FFFFFF;
font-size: 100%;
font-weight: normal;
text-transform: inherit;
border-left-style: none;
border-left-width: 1px;
border-left-color: #D3D3D3;
border-right-style: none;
border-right-width: 1px;
border-right-color: #D3D3D3;
vertical-align: bottom;
padding-top: 5px;
padding-bottom: 6px;
padding-left: 5px;
padding-right: 5px;
overflow-x: hidden;
}
#ouobxzjjyi .gt_column_spanner_outer {
color: #333333;
background-color: #FFFFFF;
font-size: 100%;
font-weight: normal;
text-transform: inherit;
padding-top: 0;
padding-bottom: 0;
padding-left: 4px;
padding-right: 4px;
}
#ouobxzjjyi .gt_column_spanner_outer:first-child {
padding-left: 0;
}
#ouobxzjjyi .gt_column_spanner_outer:last-child {
padding-right: 0;
}
#ouobxzjjyi .gt_column_spanner {
border-bottom-style: solid;
border-bottom-width: 2px;
border-bottom-color: #D3D3D3;
vertical-align: bottom;
padding-top: 5px;
padding-bottom: 5px;
overflow-x: hidden;
display: inline-block;
width: 100%;
}
#ouobxzjjyi .gt_group_heading {
padding-top: 8px;
padding-bottom: 8px;
padding-left: 5px;
padding-right: 5px;
color: #333333;
background-color: #FFFFFF;
font-size: 100%;
font-weight: initial;
text-transform: inherit;
border-top-style: solid;
border-top-width: 2px;
border-top-color: #D3D3D3;
border-bottom-style: solid;
border-bottom-width: 2px;
border-bottom-color: #D3D3D3;
border-left-style: none;
border-left-width: 1px;
border-left-color: #D3D3D3;
border-right-style: none;
border-right-width: 1px;
border-right-color: #D3D3D3;
vertical-align: middle;
text-align: left;
}
#ouobxzjjyi .gt_empty_group_heading {
padding: 0.5px;
color: #333333;
background-color: #FFFFFF;
font-size: 100%;
font-weight: initial;
border-top-style: solid;
border-top-width: 2px;
border-top-color: #D3D3D3;
border-bottom-style: solid;
border-bottom-width: 2px;
border-bottom-color: #D3D3D3;
vertical-align: middle;
}
#ouobxzjjyi .gt_from_md > :first-child {
margin-top: 0;
}
#ouobxzjjyi .gt_from_md > :last-child {
margin-bottom: 0;
}
#ouobxzjjyi .gt_row {
padding-top: 8px;
padding-bottom: 8px;
padding-left: 5px;
padding-right: 5px;
margin: 10px;
border-top-style: solid;
border-top-width: 1px;
border-top-color: #D3D3D3;
border-left-style: none;
border-left-width: 1px;
border-left-color: #D3D3D3;
border-right-style: none;
border-right-width: 1px;
border-right-color: #D3D3D3;
vertical-align: middle;
overflow-x: hidden;
}
#ouobxzjjyi .gt_stub {
color: #333333;
background-color: #FFFFFF;
font-size: 100%;
font-weight: initial;
text-transform: inherit;
border-right-style: solid;
border-right-width: 2px;
border-right-color: #D3D3D3;
padding-left: 5px;
padding-right: 5px;
}
#ouobxzjjyi .gt_stub_row_group {
color: #333333;
background-color: #FFFFFF;
font-size: 100%;
font-weight: initial;
text-transform: inherit;
border-right-style: solid;
border-right-width: 2px;
border-right-color: #D3D3D3;
padding-left: 5px;
padding-right: 5px;
vertical-align: top;
}
#ouobxzjjyi .gt_row_group_first td {
border-top-width: 2px;
}
#ouobxzjjyi .gt_summary_row {
color: #333333;
background-color: #FFFFFF;
text-transform: inherit;
padding-top: 8px;
padding-bottom: 8px;
padding-left: 5px;
padding-right: 5px;
}
#ouobxzjjyi .gt_first_summary_row {
border-top-style: solid;
border-top-color: #D3D3D3;
}
#ouobxzjjyi .gt_first_summary_row.thick {
border-top-width: 2px;
}
#ouobxzjjyi .gt_last_summary_row {
padding-top: 8px;
padding-bottom: 8px;
padding-left: 5px;
padding-right: 5px;
border-bottom-style: solid;
border-bottom-width: 2px;
border-bottom-color: #D3D3D3;
}
#ouobxzjjyi .gt_grand_summary_row {
color: #333333;
background-color: #FFFFFF;
text-transform: inherit;
padding-top: 8px;
padding-bottom: 8px;
padding-left: 5px;
padding-right: 5px;
}
#ouobxzjjyi .gt_first_grand_summary_row {
padding-top: 8px;
padding-bottom: 8px;
padding-left: 5px;
padding-right: 5px;
border-top-style: double;
border-top-width: 6px;
border-top-color: #D3D3D3;
}
#ouobxzjjyi .gt_striped {
background-color: rgba(128, 128, 128, 0.05);
}
#ouobxzjjyi .gt_table_body {
border-top-style: solid;
border-top-width: 2px;
border-top-color: #D3D3D3;
border-bottom-style: solid;
border-bottom-width: 2px;
border-bottom-color: #D3D3D3;
}
#ouobxzjjyi .gt_footnotes {
color: #333333;
background-color: #FFFFFF;
border-bottom-style: none;
border-bottom-width: 2px;
border-bottom-color: #D3D3D3;
border-left-style: none;
border-left-width: 2px;
border-left-color: #D3D3D3;
border-right-style: none;
border-right-width: 2px;
border-right-color: #D3D3D3;
}
#ouobxzjjyi .gt_footnote {
margin: 0px;
font-size: 90%;
padding-left: 4px;
padding-right: 4px;
padding-left: 5px;
padding-right: 5px;
}
#ouobxzjjyi .gt_sourcenotes {
color: #333333;
background-color: #FFFFFF;
border-bottom-style: none;
border-bottom-width: 2px;
border-bottom-color: #D3D3D3;
border-left-style: none;
border-left-width: 2px;
border-left-color: #D3D3D3;
border-right-style: none;
border-right-width: 2px;
border-right-color: #D3D3D3;
}
#ouobxzjjyi .gt_sourcenote {
font-size: 90%;
padding-top: 4px;
padding-bottom: 4px;
padding-left: 5px;
padding-right: 5px;
}
#ouobxzjjyi .gt_left {
text-align: left;
}
#ouobxzjjyi .gt_center {
text-align: center;
}
#ouobxzjjyi .gt_right {
text-align: right;
font-variant-numeric: tabular-nums;
}
#ouobxzjjyi .gt_font_normal {
font-weight: normal;
}
#ouobxzjjyi .gt_font_bold {
font-weight: bold;
}
#ouobxzjjyi .gt_font_italic {
font-style: italic;
}
#ouobxzjjyi .gt_super {
font-size: 65%;
}
#ouobxzjjyi .gt_footnote_marks {
font-style: italic;
font-weight: normal;
font-size: 75%;
vertical-align: 0.4em;
}
#ouobxzjjyi .gt_asterisk {
font-size: 100%;
vertical-align: 0;
}
#ouobxzjjyi .gt_indent_1 {
text-indent: 5px;
}
#ouobxzjjyi .gt_indent_2 {
text-indent: 10px;
}
#ouobxzjjyi .gt_indent_3 {
text-indent: 15px;
}
#ouobxzjjyi .gt_indent_4 {
text-indent: 20px;
}
#ouobxzjjyi .gt_indent_5 {
text-indent: 25px;
}
```
which trnaslate to
| original |
|---|
| 2.3040 × 10−1 |
# fussier
formatC(d$original, format = "e", digits = 4) |> kable()
| x |
|:-----------|
| 2.3040e-01 |
One thing to keep in mind, though— it's easy to spend time on how it looks rather than what it says.