wrapper_behavior.R

``` r
library(tibble)

df = tibble(
  var1 = rnorm(5),
  var2 = rnorm(5)
)

first = function(data, x){
  x = substitute(x)
  eval(x, data)
}

wrap = function(data, x){
  first(data, x)
}

wrap_working = function(data, x){
  eval(substitute(first(data, x)))
}

first(df, var1)
#> [1]  2.4489749 -0.2397701  0.7707028  0.2790378  0.4131106
wrap(df, var1)
#> x
wrap_working(df, var1)
#> [1]  2.4489749 -0.2397701  0.7707028  0.2790378  0.4131106
```

<sup>Created on 2020-08-19 by the [reprex package](https://reprex.tidyverse.org) (v0.3.0)</sup>

Here is an option that tries to better account for environments:

wrap_working2 = function(data, x){
  df <- identity   # a closure for an error
  var3 <- 42       # to illustrate bad lookup
  # `second` not visible in global env; doesn't have to be here, could
  # also be in a package namespace.
  second <- function(data, x){
    x = substitute(x)
    eval(x, data, parent.frame())
  }
  eval(
    bquote(.(second)(.(data), .(substitute(x)))),
    parent.frame()
  )
}
var3 <- 1               # we want to find this one
second <- stop          # if we find `second` in global -> error
wrap_working2(df, var1)
wrap_working2(df, var3)