ggsave() can change active graphics device

[wch]

If there is more than one graphics device open, calling ggsave() can change which one is active.

For example, in RStudio:

library(ggplot2)

dev.new()
dev.new()
dev.cur()
#> quartz 
#>      4 

p <- ggplot(mtcars, aes(wt, mpg)) + geom_point()
ggsave('test.png', p)
dev.cur()
#> RStudioGD 
#>         2 

In R at the terminal:

library(ggplot2)

dev.new()
dev.new()
dev.cur()
#> quartz 
#>      3 

p <- ggplot(mtcars, aes(wt, mpg)) + geom_point()
ggsave('test.png', p)
dev.cur()
#> quartz 
#>      2 

[dracodoc]

A simple fix would be saving current device and restoring it.

cur_dev <- dev.cur()
ggsave("plot.png", g)
dev.set(cur_dev)

To fix it inside ggsave we can do something like this

cur_dev <- dev.cur()
dev(file = filename, width = dim[1], height = dim[2], ...)
on.exit(utils::capture.output({
  grDevices::dev.off()
  dev.set(cur_dev)
}))
grid.draw(plot)

[basjacobs93]

On Ubuntu 17.10, when putting the below code in an Rscript and running it from the command line, the graphics device is still changed.

library(ggplot2)

print(dev.cur())
p <- ggplot(mtcars, aes(wt, mpg)) + geom_point()
ggsave('test.png', p)
print(dev.cur())

$ Rscript test.R
null device 
          1 
Saving 7 x 7 in image
pdf 
  2 

It also creates an empty Rplots.pdf file next to test.png. In fact, such a file is already created when simply running

old_dev <- grDevices::dev.cur()
grDevices::pdf(file = "test.pdf")
grDevices::dev.off()
grDevices::dev.set(old_dev)

as an Rscript from the command line. I therefore believe this is also closely related to #2752 .

getOption("device") gives a function which is grDevices::pdf, and the environment variable R_DEFAULT_DEVICE is empty.

Running this from within Rstudio does give the expected behavior.

[clauswilke]

I'm reopening this issue, since I think I know what's going on. And I agree #2752 is likely the same problem.

This code tries to save the current graphics device and then restore it once the plot is saved:

ggplot2/R/save.r

Lines 57 to 62 in 79e8b45

	old_dev <- grDevices::dev.cur()
	dev(filename = filename, width = dim[1], height = dim[2], ...)
	on.exit(utils::capture.output({
	grDevices::dev.off()
	grDevices::dev.set(old_dev)
	}))

The problem is this doesn't work when no device is currently open. When no device is open, dev.cur() returns 1. However, when dev.set() is called with an argument of 1, it opens a new device (!):

library(grDevices)
dev.off()
#> null device 
#>           1
dev.list()
#> NULL
dev.cur()
#> null device 
#>           1
dev.set(1)
#> null device 
#>           1
dev.list()
#> pdf 
#>   2

(This is documented behavior: "dev.set makes the specified device the active device. If there is no device with that number, it is equivalent to dev.next. If which = 1 it opens a new device and selects that.")

The solution I think is to replace line 61 in the code quoted above with:

if (old_dev > 1) grDevices::dev.set(old_dev)

[clauswilke]

I made a pull request. It would be great if somebody could test it. Install from github via:

devtools::install_github("clauswilke/ggplot2@issue-2363-ggsave")

[basjacobs93]

I can confirm that the pull request @clauswilke made works for me.

$ Rscript test.R
null device 
          1 
Saving 7 x 7 in image
null device 
          1 

[basjacobs93]

I am not sure if this belongs here or at the gridExtra repository, but I do get an Rplots.pdf file (and changed device) when running this file as an Rscript:

library(ggplot2)
library(gridExtra)

print(dev.cur())
p <- ggplot(mtcars, aes(wt, mpg)) + geom_point() + theme_minimal()
g <- arrangeGrob(grobs = list(p))
print(dev.cur())

→ Rscript test.R
null device 
          1 
pdf 
  2 

whereas if I change the theme to theme_void, I do not get this behavior:

→ Rscript test.R
null device 
          1 
null device 
          1 

This still happens when using the fix proposed by @clauswilke.
I do not really know how to debug this any further.

[clauswilke]

@basjacobs93 It's one of those bugs where it's not clear whose fault it is. The problem is that grid can't draw text without having a graphics device open, and if none is open it opens one. theme_void() works because it doesn't draw text.

As a workaround, you could add pdf(NULL) to your code before you call arrangeGrob(), that should provide the needed graphics device without creating a file.