[Bug]: row_labels don't match docs in qtable()

[anajens]

What happened?

According to the docs, row_labels from qtable() should be used to modify the analysis rows. In practice it seems to only change the top left header label.

Relevant log output

fivenum3 <- function(x) {
    as.list(fivenum(x))
}
# annotate top left
qtable(ex_adsl, row_vars = "STRATA2", col_vars = "ARM", avar = "AGE", afun = fivenum3,
       row_labels = "ABC")

# error
qtable(ex_adsl, row_vars = "STRATA2", col_vars = "ARM", avar = "AGE", afun = fivenum3,
       row_labels = letters[1:5])

ABC   A: Drug X   B: Placebo   C: Combination
       (N=134)     (N=134)        (N=132)    
—————————————————————————————————————————————
S1                                           
        23.00       24.00          20.00     
        28.00       30.00          30.50     
        34.00       36.00          35.00     
        39.00       40.50          40.00     
        48.00       62.00          69.00     
S2                                           
        21.00       21.00          23.00     
        29.00       29.50          30.00     
        32.00       32.00          34.50     
        38.00       39.50          38.00     
        50.00       58.00          64.00     
> 
> # error
> qtable(ex_adsl, row_vars = "STRATA2", col_vars = "ARM", avar = "AGE", afun = fivenum3,
+        row_labels = letters[1:5])
Error: Error applying analysis function (var - AGE): 'length = 5' in coercion to 'logical(1)'
occured at (row) path: STRATA2[S1]

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[gmbecker]

@anajens Thanks for the report. You are correct. the behavior controlled by row_labels is more complicated than its documentation suggests.

Unlike rtables more generally, qtable tries pretty hard to be "smart" about table appearance, and with respect to this issue, supports the following implicit configurations:

1. no row splitting, single-row-returning afun

Here, the label is used for the row label

> qtable(ex_adsl , col_vars = "ARM", avar = "AGE", afun = mean, row_labels = "ABC")
      A: Drug X   B: Placebo   C: Combination
       (N=134)     (N=134)        (N=132)    
—————————————————————————————————————————————
ABC     33.77       35.43          35.43     

2. row splitting, single-row-returning afun, row_label specified

Here, we use the value label for the most recent split as the row label, automatically, for a more compact table. In this case, the row label (whether default or specified in a single string) is pulled up to the top_left

> qtable(ex_adsl , row_vars = "STRATA2", col_vars = "ARM", avar = "AGE", afun = mean, row_labels = "ABC")
ABC   A: Drug X   B: Placebo   C: Combination
       (N=134)     (N=134)        (N=132)    
—————————————————————————————————————————————
S1      34.10       36.46          35.70     
S2      33.38       34.40          35.24     

3. no row splitting, multi-row-returning afun, row_labels vector specified

Here, the labels should be used as the row labels, and its a bug that they are not

> qtable(ex_adsl, col_vars = "ARM", avar = "AGE", afun = fivenum3, row_labels = letters[1:5])
   A: Drug X   B: Placebo   C: Combination
    (N=134)     (N=134)        (N=132)    
——————————————————————————————————————————
     21.00       21.00          20.00     
     28.00       30.00          30.00     
     33.00       35.00          35.00     
     39.00       40.00          40.00     
     50.00       62.00          69.00     
Warning messages:
1: In !is.null(lbls) && is.na(lbls) :
  'length(x) = 5 > 1' in coercion to 'logical(1)'
2: In !is.null(lbls) && is.na(lbls) :
  'length(x) = 5 > 1' in coercion to 'logical(1)'
3: In !is.null(lbls) && is.na(lbls) :
  'length(x) = 5 > 1' in coercion to 'logical(1)'

4. row splitting present, multi-row returning afun

Here we have a different bug, which puts the vector of row_labels in the topleft:

 qtable(ex_adsl, row_vars = "STRATA2", col_vars = "ARM", avar = "AGE", afun = fivenum3, row_labels = letters[1:5])
a                                           
b                                           
c                                           
d    A: Drug X   B: Placebo   C: Combination
e     (N=134)     (N=134)        (N=132)    
————————————————————————————————————————————
S1                                          
       23.00       24.00          20.00     
       28.00       30.00          30.50     
       34.00       36.00          35.00     
       39.00       40.50          40.00     
       48.00       62.00          69.00     
S2                                          
       21.00       21.00          23.00     
       29.00       29.50          30.00     
       32.00       32.00          34.50     
       38.00       39.50          38.00     
       50.00       58.00          64.00     
Warning messages:
1: In !is.null(lbls) && is.na(lbls) :
  'length(x) = 5 > 1' in coercion to 'logical(1)'
<snip>

I've fixed this locally and will create a PR soon. I went ahead and put the default single rowname back into the top-left in these multi-row cases, which I think is ok, because qtable is supposed to be opinionated:

## with change
> qtable(ex_adsl, row_vars = "STRATA2", col_vars = "ARM", avar = "AGE", afun = fivenum3, row_labels = letters[1:5])
AGE - fivenum3   A: Drug X   B: Placebo   C: Combination
                  (N=134)     (N=134)        (N=132)    
————————————————————————————————————————————————————————
S1                                                      
  a                23.00       24.00          20.00     
  b                28.00       30.00          30.50     
  c                34.00       36.00          35.00     
  d                39.00       40.50          40.00     
  e                48.00       62.00          69.00     
S2                                                      
  a                21.00       21.00          23.00     
  b                29.00       29.50          30.00     
  c                32.00       32.00          34.50     
  d                38.00       39.50          38.00     
  e                50.00       58.00          64.00