create templates using ggplot2 syntax?

Question

I wonder if it's possible to create a similar set of figures in ggplot2 and just change the data somehow. For instance, I can create a function to accomplish this task:

plot1 <- function(data) ggplot(data) + geom_line(aes(x,y)) + theme_bw()
plot1(data)
plot1(newdata)

But is it possible to save and reuse a set of components in some manner like this? (obviously this does not work):

g <- geom_line(aes(x,y)) + theme_bw()
ggplot(data) + g
ggplot(newdata) + g

Answer 1

There are the +.gg methods described here

These are %+% and %+replace% which will update / replace elements in ggplots and themes

eg

p <- ggplot(mtcars, aes(x =wt, y = mpg,colour = hp)) + geom_point()

# change the variable mapped to y
p %+% aes(y = am)
# change the data set
p %+% mtcars[1:10,]

Or you can combine the elements as a list

eg

#
g <- list(geom_line(aes(x,y)),theme_bw())
ggplot(data) + g