Suggestion to implement `tidytable_prefer()`

[Darxor]

With dotless verbs now in place, I thinks its would be a good idea to implement something along the lines of tidymodels::tidymodels_prefer() and add a readme about it.

IMO, this will make it easier for an average user in an interactive session, where one doesn't necessarily knows which package will they load first.

{conflicted} (what tidymodels devs use) seems like a rather lightweight solution for this

[markfairbanks]

Hmm I like the idea in general, but it would add 3 dependencies to tidytable - conflicted, memoise, and cachem. I would like to avoid that.

I could just recommend that users use conflicted. I also have debated recommending users to use box.

Another option is to export an import_as() function that mimics the functionality of box using python-like syntax. In the example below dplyr functions are accessed using dp$

pacman::p_load(rlang, tidytable)

import_as <- function(package, alias) {
  package <- as_name(enexpr(package))

  funs <- set_names(getNamespaceExports(package))
  funs <- map(funs, ~ eval(call2("::", sym(package), sym(.x))))
  funs <- as_environment(funs)

  env_bind(caller_env(), {{ alias }} := funs)
}

library(dbplyr)
import_as(dplyr, dp)

df <- memdb_frame(x = 1:3, y = 1:3, z = c("a", "a", "b"))

df %>%
  dp$select(x, y, z) %>%
  dp$mutate(double_x = x * 2) %>%
  dp$collect() %>%
  summarize(mean_x = mean(x), .by = z)
#> # A tidytable: 2 × 2
#>   z     mean_x
#>   <chr>  <dbl>
#> 1 a        1.5
#> 2 b        3

[Darxor]

import_as() seems to me as good option for an advanced user, but maybe less so for an average one.

I would personally wrap tidytable_prefer() with a check for installed {conflicted} and push conflicted into Suggests, rather then Imports. If {conflicted} is not installed - throw a message with info about load order and suggest using import_as() or {box} directly.

[markfairbanks]

As I think on this, I think this is sufficiently covered by the conflicted package.

conflicted::conflict_prefer_all("tidytable", quiet = TRUE)