Pass a data.table column name to a function using :=

This question is the data.table equivalent of Pass a data.frame column name to a function.

Suppose I have a very simple data.table:

dat <- data.table(x = 1:4,
                  y = 5:8)

Now I want to create a new column for any given function:

new_column <- function(df,col_name,expr){
    col_name <- deparse(substitute(col_name))
    df[[col_name]] <- eval(substitute(expr),df,parent.frame())
    df
}

So that it correctly provides:

> new_column (dat,z,x+y)
  x y  z
1 1 5  6
2 2 6  8
3 3 7 10
4 4 8 12

However , because it is a data.table I would like to create this new column using :=:

new_column_byref <- function(df,col_name,expr){
   col_name <- deparse(substitute(col_name))
  df[, col_name:=eval(substitute(expr)
                      ,df
                      ,parent.frame()
                      )]
  df
}

But it does not work:

> a <- new_column_byref(dat,z,x+y)
 Error: Check that is.data.table(DT) == TRUE. Otherwise, :=, `:=`(...) and let(...) are defined for use in j, once only and in particular ways. See help(":=").

How do I fix this? Thank you.

>Solution :

new_column_byref <- function(df,col_name,expr){
  col_name <- deparse(substitute(col_name))
  set(df,j=col_name,value=eval(substitute(expr),df,parent.frame()))
}


dat <- data.table(x = 1:4,y = 5:8)

new_column_byref(dat,z,x+y)[]

   x y  z
1: 1 5  6
2: 2 6  8
3: 3 7 10
4: 4 8 12