How to change positions of x and y axis in ggplot2

Question

In my real research world, it is very common to show x-axis on the top (or both top and bottom) and y-axis on the right. However, the default positions are x on the bottom a

Answer 1

From ggplot 2.2.0 you can set the position of the axes with the position argument in scale_:

ggplot(mpg, aes(displ, hwy)) + 
  geom_point() + 
  scale_x_continuous(position = "top") + 
  scale_y_continuous(position = "right")

Answer 2

ggplot2 solution

I adopt This solution to create a right y axis. Personally I find manipulating grobs using within a gtable really difficult. I give up with the x-axis but I give a lattice solution. I hope this functionality will be implemented in ggplot2 as soon as possible.

library(ggplot2)
library(gtable)
library(grid)
grid.newpage()
dat <- data.frame(x<-seq(0, 10, 0.1),y = sin(x * pi))
p <- ggplot(dat, aes(x, y)) + geom_line(colour = "blue") + theme_bw()
# extract gtable
g <- ggplot_gtable(ggplot_build(p))

# axis tweaks
ia <- which(g$layout$name == "axis-l")
ax <- g$grobs[[ia]]$children[[2]]
ax$widths <- rev(ax$widths)
ax$grobs <- rev(ax$grobs)
ax$grobs[[1]]$x <- ax$grobs[[1]]$x - unit(1, "npc") + unit(0.15, "cm")
pp <- c(subset(g$layout, name == "panel", select = t:r))
g <- gtable_add_cols(g, g$widths[g$layout[ia, ]$l], length(g$widths) - 1)
g <-  gtable_add_grob(g, ax, pp$t, length(g$widths) - 1, pp$b)
g$grobs[[ia]]$children[[2]] <- NULL
##############################
ia <- which(g$layout$name == "ylab")
ylab <- g$grobs[[ia]]
g <- gtable_add_cols(g, g$widths[g$layout[ia, ]$l], length(g$widths) - 1)
g <-  gtable_add_grob(g, ylab, pp$t, length(g$widths) - 1, pp$b)
g$grobs[[ia]]$label = ''
grid.draw(g)

lattice solution

This is not a ggplot2 solution , but lattice one. Using latticeExtra with a ggplot2 theme we can get a similar look with the desired behavior.

library(latticeExtra)
xyplot(y~ x, type='l', scales=list(x=list(alternating=2),
                                   y=list(alternating=2)),
       par.settings = ggplot2like(),axis=axis.grid)