Replicate `layout` in `grid`/`ggplot`

Question

I'm trying to replicate the following code, except with histograms being replaced with ggplot calls. So, this works:

layout(matrix(c(1, 2, 3, 4, 4, 3, 4, 4, 5), ncol=3))
hist(1:20)
hist(1:40)
hist(1:60)
hist(1:80)
hist(1:90)

And this doesn't (each ggplot creates a new full-scale image instead of being part of the layout):

layout(matrix(c(1, 2, 3, 4, 4, 3, 4, 4, 5), ncol=3))
ggplot(data.frame(x=1:20)) + stat_bin(aes(x=x))
ggplot(data.frame(x=1:40)) + stat_bin(aes(x=x))
ggplot(data.frame(x=1:60)) + stat_bin(aes(x=x))
ggplot(data.frame(x=1:80)) + stat_bin(aes(x=x))
ggplot(data.frame(x=1:90)) + stat_bin(aes(x=x))

The first piece of code produces the following layout:

How do I use ggplot to arrange plots the same way the first layout call does?

Answer 1

layout() only works with base graphics. ggplot uses grid graphics which has a different way or arranging plots. Try checking out the multiplot helper function. It has a layout= parameter very similar to the layout function. For example

multiplot(layout=matrix(c(1, 2, 3, 4, 4, 3, 4, 4, 5), ncol=3),
    ggplot(data.frame(x=1:20)) + stat_bin(aes(x=x)),
    ggplot(data.frame(x=1:40)) + stat_bin(aes(x=x)),
    ggplot(data.frame(x=1:60)) + stat_bin(aes(x=x)),
    ggplot(data.frame(x=1:80)) + stat_bin(aes(x=x)),
    ggplot(data.frame(x=1:90)) + stat_bin(aes(x=x))
)