# Passing R objects as algorithm arguments

#### Floris Vanderhaeghe

####
Last update: 2024-06-28
Last run: 2026-03-22

    library(qgisprocess)

This article addresses the question how algorithm arguments in `qgis_run_algorithm()` should be formatted.

When you run `qgis_show_help()` or `qgis_get_argument_specs()` for a given algorithm, you will quickly find out that QGIS has a diverse set of possible argument types.

As an example, take a look at the `qgis_type` column below:

    qgis_get_argument_specs("native:joinbynearest") |>
      subset(select = name:qgis_type)
    #> # A tibble: 9 × 3
    #>   name                description                                      qgis_type
    #>   <chr>               <chr>                                            <chr>
    #> 1 INPUT               Input layer                                      source
    #> 2 INPUT_2             Input layer 2                                    source
    #> 3 FIELDS_TO_COPY      Layer 2 fields to copy (leave empty to copy all… field
    #> 4 DISCARD_NONMATCHING Discard records which could not be joined        boolean
    #> 5 PREFIX              Joined field prefix                              string
    #> 6 NEIGHBORS           Maximum nearest neighbors                        number
    #> 7 MAX_DISTANCE        Maximum distance                                 distance
    #> 8 OUTPUT              Joined layer                                     sink
    #> 9 NON_MATCHING        Unjoinable features from first layer             sink

# String or R object?

Although you can pass a string 1 to a QGIS argument in `qgis_run_algorithm()`, `{qgisprocess}` makes it possible to pass familiar R objects that naturally match the QGIS argument type. This is often easier than constructing a string in the format required by QGIS.

The tables further below show which R objects can be passed to each QGIS argument type! You can find a bit more background information in issue #13.

# Defaults

Some arguments will receive a default value if they are unspecified. Defaults are provided by either `{qgisprocess}` or QGIS. Typical defaults by `{qgisprocess}` are temporary filepaths for (missing) output argument types `sink`, `vectorDestination`, `rasterDestination`, `fileDestination` and `folderDestination`.

# Supported R objects

## For spatial QGIS arguments

QGIS argument type | Supported R object
--- | ---
`source`, `vector` | a string (filepath) or an appropriate spatial vector object (`sf`, `SpatVector`, `SpatVectorProxy`)
`raster` | a string (filepath) or an appropriate spatial raster object (`SpatRaster`, `stars`, `stars_proxy`, `RasterLayer`, `RasterBrick`)
`layer` | a string (filepath) or an appropriate spatial object (`sf`, `SpatVector`, `SpatVectorProxy`, `SpatRaster`, `stars`, `stars_proxy`, `RasterLayer`, `RasterBrick`)
`multilayer` | a list of layers created by `qgis_list_input()` (alternatively, repeat the same argument providing each layer in turn)
`aggregates`, `field_mapping`, `tininputlayers`, `vectortilewriterlayers` | a nested list created by `qgis_list_input()` (unnamed list) or `qgis_dict_input()` (named list) or a combination of both (a `native:aggregate` example is found here). These argument types are typically not supported by the legacy (no-JSON) input method.
`point` | a vector of 2 point coordinates, a simple feature geometry (`sfg`) of class `POINT`, or an `sfc` (geometry set) or `sf` object with exactly one `POINT` geometry
`band` | an integer value
`extent` | a vector of the form `c(xmin, xmax, ymin, ymax)`, a `bbox` object from `{sf}`, a `SpatExtent` object from `{terra}` or an `Extent` object from `{raster}`
`crs` | a `crs` object from `{sf}`, a `CRS` object from `{raster}` or a WKT2 string (e.g. obtained with `terra::crs()`)
`coordinateoperation` | PROJ string of a coordinate operation, possibly obtained using `sf::sf_proj_pipelines()`
`sink`, `vectorDestination` | a string: filepath to a vector file format (defaults to a temporary GeoPackage if argument is missing)
`rasterDestination` | a string: filepath to a raster file format (defaults to a temporary GeoTIFF file if argument is missing)

### Note

An important group of spatial QGIS argument types are those used in specifying an input layer. QGIS essentially needs a filepath string here. If a spatial R object is provided instead, `{qgisprocess}` will:

- either write out the object to a temporary file and pass the filepath to QGIS,
- or use the object’s filepath metadata if present (supported by some classes of `{terra}` and `{stars}`).

However if the spatial R object simply results from reading a spatial file and if its filepath is not included in the object’s metadata (e.g. for `sf` or `SpatVector` objects), then you will get most efficiency if you pass the original filepath directly.

## For non-spatial QGIS arguments

QGIS argument types | Supported R object
--- | ---
`enum` | a character vector with one or more acceptable string values. A numeric vector with the corresponding index number(s) can also be provided, but contrary to the character vector its acceptability won’t be checked.
`range` | a vector of length 2, defining minimum and maximum value respectively
`file`, `field`, `layout`, `layoutitem`, `maptheme`, `execute_sql` | string
`string` | any string, including data-defined overriding (`"field:..."` or `"expression:..."`)
`distance`, `number` | numeric (length 1), or a string for data-defined overriding (`"field:..."` or `"expression:..."`)
`boolean` | logical (length 1), or a string for data-defined overriding (`"field:..."` or `"expression:..."`)
`color` | a colour string that `col2rgb()` understands (e.g. `"pink1"` or `"#1A664D80"`), or a string for data-defined overriding (`"field:..."` or `"expression:..."`)
`expression`, `raster_calc_expression` | a string (formatted as `"expression:..."`). See `vignette("qgis_expressions")`.
`matrix` | a matrix or a data frame with contents as required by the algorithm
`relief_colors` | a matrix or a data frame with three columns and with rows corresponding to intervals. The first two columns define the interval (minimum and maximum respectively) and the third column must be a colour string that `col2rgb()` understands (e.g. `"pink1"` or `"#1A664D80"`).
`fileDestination`, `folderDestination` | a string: path to a file or directory (defaults to a temporary file or directory if argument is missing)

# Passing output from a previous processing step

The object returned by `qgis_run_algorithm()` is a `qgis_result`. It contains one or several output elements, shown when printing the `qgis_result` object.

A single output element can be extracted with `qgis_extract_output()`, and it has one of the following classes: `qgis_outputFile`, `qgis_outputFolder`, `qgis_outputLayer`, `qgis_outputMultilayer`, `qgis_outputNumber`, `qgis_outputRaster`, `qgis_outputString` or `qgis_outputVector`.

These objects essentially represent a string. They can be passed directly to an appropriate argument in a next `qgis_run_algorithm()` step.

Also note that the pipe-friendly function `qgis_run_algorithm_p()` (notice the `_p`) is able to accept an ‘incoming’ `qgis_result` object as its first argument. It will extract the appropriate output element on the fly.

1. A string is a character vector of length 1.↩︎