Use `relocate()` to change column positions, using the same syntax as `select()`. Check similar function as `relocate()` in dplyr.
relocate(.data, ..., how = "first", where = NULL)
A data.table with rearranged columns.
Once you relocate the columns, the order changes forever.
df <- data.table(a = 1, b = 1, c = 1, d = "a", e = "a", f = "a")
df
#> a b c d e f
#> <num> <num> <num> <char> <char> <char>
#> 1: 1 1 1 a a a
df %>% relocate(f)
#> f a b c d e
#> <char> <num> <num> <num> <char> <char>
#> 1: a 1 1 1 a a
df %>% relocate(a,how = "last")
#> f b c d e a
#> <char> <num> <num> <char> <char> <num>
#> 1: a 1 1 a a 1
df %>% relocate(is.character)
#> f d e b c a
#> <char> <char> <char> <num> <num> <num>
#> 1: a a a 1 1 1
df %>% relocate(is.numeric, how = "last")
#> f d e b c a
#> <char> <char> <char> <num> <num> <num>
#> 1: a a a 1 1 1
df %>% relocate("[aeiou]")
#> e a f d b c
#> <char> <num> <char> <char> <num> <num>
#> 1: a 1 a a 1 1
df %>% relocate(a, how = "after",where = f)
#> e f a d b c
#> <char> <char> <num> <char> <num> <num>
#> 1: a a 1 a 1 1
df %>% relocate(f, how = "before",where = a)
#> e f a d b c
#> <char> <char> <num> <char> <num> <num>
#> 1: a a 1 a 1 1
df %>% relocate(f, how = "before",where = c)
#> e a d b f c
#> <char> <num> <char> <num> <char> <num>
#> 1: a 1 a 1 a 1
df %>% relocate(f, how = "after",where = c)
#> e a d b c f
#> <char> <num> <char> <num> <num> <char>
#> 1: a 1 a 1 1 a
df2 <- data.table(a = 1, b = "a", c = 1, d = "a")
df2 %>% relocate(is.numeric,
how = "after",
where = is.character)
#> b d a c
#> <char> <char> <num> <num>
#> 1: a a 1 1
df2 %>% relocate(is.numeric,
how="before",
where = is.character)
#> a c b d
#> <num> <num> <char> <char>
#> 1: 1 1 a a