Add names of targets in tar_plans to environment

R/utils.R

@@ -1,12 +1,23 @@
 #' Collect all targets and lists of targets in the environment
-all_targets <- function(env = parent.env(environment()), type = "tar_target") {
+all_targets <- function(env = parent.env(environment()), type = "tar_target", add_list_names = TRUE) {
+
+  # Function to determine if an object is a type (a target), or a list on only that type
   rfn <- function(obj) inherits(obj, type) || (is.list(obj) && all(vapply(obj, rfn, logical(1))))
+  # Get the names everything in the environment (e.g. sourced in the _targets file)
   objs <- ls(env)
   out <- list()
+
   for(o in objs) {
-    obj <- get(o, envir = env)
-    if (rfn(obj)) {
-      out[[length(out) + 1]] <- obj
+    obj <- get(o, envir = env) # Get each top-level object in turn
+    if (rfn(obj)) { # For targets and lists of targets
+      out[[length(out) + 1]] <- obj # Add them to the output
+
+      # If the object is a list of targets, add a vector of those names to the environment
+      # So that one can call `tar_make(list_name)` to make all the targets in that list
+      if(add_list_names && is.list(obj)) {
+        target_names <- vapply(obj, \(x) x$settings$name, character(1))
+        assign(o, target_names, envir = env)
+      }
     }
   }
   return(out)