Using {vec} on a data.frame

vec_df.R

library(vec)

x <- as_vec(c(apple = 1, banana = 2, carrot = 3))

is_named <- function(x, y) names(x) %in% y

x[Negate(is_named), "banana"]
#>  apple carrot 
#>      1      3

m <- as_vec(mtcars)

m[Negate(is_named), c("mpg", "wt")] |> 
  as.data.frame() |> 
  head()
#>                   cyl disp  hp drat  qsec vs am gear carb
#> Mazda RX4           6  160 110 3.90 16.46  0  1    4    4
#> Mazda RX4 Wag       6  160 110 3.90 17.02  0  1    4    4
#> Datsun 710          4  108  93 3.85 18.61  1  1    4    1
#> Hornet 4 Drive      6  258 110 3.08 19.44  1  0    3    1
#> Hornet Sportabout   8  360 175 3.15 17.02  0  0    3    2
#> Valiant             6  225 105 2.76 20.22  1  0    3    1

library(palmerpenguins)
p <- as_vec(penguins)

p[Negate(is_named), "body_mass_g"] |> 
  as.data.frame() |> 
  head()
#>   species    island bill_length_mm bill_depth_mm flipper_length_mm    sex year
#> 1  Adelie Torgersen           39.1          18.7               181   male 2007
#> 2  Adelie Torgersen           39.5          17.4               186 female 2007
#> 3  Adelie Torgersen           40.3          18.0               195 female 2007
#> 4  Adelie Torgersen             NA            NA                NA   <NA> 2007
#> 5  Adelie Torgersen           36.7          19.3               193 female 2007
#> 6  Adelie Torgersen           39.3          20.6               190   male 2007

#<sup>Created on 2025-09-13 with [reprex v2.1.1](https://reprex.tidyverse.org)</sup>