diff --git a/boxplot_examples.R b/boxplot_examples.R
index 6ec58e539ccff40f2fd1c4affed93283ad858e16..b934154e0e0c99456c8fbcb0b9031436c24f294c 100644
--- a/boxplot_examples.R
+++ b/boxplot_examples.R
@@ -7,7 +7,8 @@ obs1 <- data.frame(
     Categ1 = rep(c("CAT", "DOG"), times = 40), 
     Categ2 = rep(c("A", "B", "C", "D"), each = 20), 
     Color1 = rep(c("coral", "lightblue"), times = 40), 
-    Color2 = rep(c("#9F2108", "#306100", "#007479", "#8500C0"), each = 20)
+    Color2 = rep(c("#9F2108", "#306100", "#007479", "#8500C0"), each = 20), 
+    stringsAsFactors = TRUE
 )
 set.seed(NULL)
 fun_info(obs1)
diff --git a/cute_little_R_functions.R b/cute_little_R_functions.R
index edca46363719cfae6d61cdb7e344621be60bcba8..9adf6ae808d333a8308fb500d8e67a02b8b47bca 100644
--- a/cute_little_R_functions.R
+++ b/cute_little_R_functions.R
@@ -7904,6 +7904,7 @@ lib.path = NULL
 # lib.path: character string indicating the absolute path of the required packages (see below). if NULL, the function will use the R library default folders
 # REQUIRED PACKAGES
 # ggplot2
+# gridExtra
 # scales
 # REQUIRED FUNCTIONS FROM THE cute PACKAGE
 # fun_check()
@@ -7942,9 +7943,9 @@ lib.path = NULL
 # $ggplot: ggplot object that can be used for reprint (use print(...$ggplot) or update (use ...$ggplot + ggplot2::...). NULL if return.ggplot argument is FALSE. Of note, a non-NULL $ggplot in the output list is sometimes annoying as the manipulation of this list prints the plot
 # EXAMPLE
 # DEBUGGING
-# set.seed(1) ; obs1 <- data.frame(Time = c(rnorm(10), rnorm(10) + 2), Group1 = rep(c("G", "H"), each = 10)) ; set.seed(NULL) ; obs1$Time[1:10] <- NA ; data1 = obs1 ; y = "Time" ; categ = c("Group1") ; categ.class.order = NULL ; box.legend.name = NULL ; categ.color = c("green") ; box.fill = FALSE ; box.width = 0.5 ; box.space = 0.1 ; box.notch = FALSE ; box.line.size = 0.5 ; box.alpha = 0.5 ; box.mean = TRUE ; box.whisker.kind = "std" ; box.whisker.width = 0.5 ; dot.color = "black" ; dot.categ = "Group1"; dot.categ.class.order = c("G", "H") ; dot.legend.name = NULL ; dot.tidy = TRUE ; dot.tidy.bin.nb = 50 ; dot.jitter = 0.25 ; dot.size = 3 ; dot.alpha = 0.5 ; dot.border.size = 0.5 ; dot.border.color = NULL ; y.lim = NULL ; y.log = "no" ; y.tick.nb = NULL ; y.second.tick.nb = NULL ; y.include.zero = FALSE ; y.top.extra.margin = 0.05 ; y.bottom.extra.margin = 0.05 ; stat.disp = NULL ; stat.disp.mean = FALSE ; stat.size = 4 ; stat.dist = 2 ; x.lab = NULL ; y.lab = NULL ; vertical = TRUE ; text.size = 12 ; title = "" ; title.text.size = 8 ; legend.width = 0.5 ; text.angle = 0 ; article = FALSE ; grid = FALSE ; return = TRUE ; return.ggplot = FALSE ; plot = TRUE ; add = NULL ; warn.print = FALSE ; lib.path = NULL
-# set.seed(1) ; obs1 <- data.frame(Time = c(rnorm(10), rnorm(10) + 2), Group1 = rep(c("G", "H"), each = 10), Group2 = rep(c("A", "B"), time = 10), Group3 = rep(c("I", "J"), time = 10)) ; set.seed(NULL) ; obs1$Time[1:10] <- NA ; data1 = obs1 ; y = "Time" ; categ = c("Group1", "Group2") ; categ.class.order = list(c("G", "H"), c("A", "B")); box.legend.name = NULL ; categ.color = c("green", "blue") ; box.fill = FALSE ; box.width = 0.5 ; box.space = 0.1 ; box.notch = FALSE ; box.line.size = 0.5 ; box.alpha = 0.5 ; box.mean = TRUE ; box.whisker.kind = "std" ; box.whisker.width = 0.5 ; dot.color = "black" ; dot.categ = "Group1" ; dot.categ.class.order = NULL ; dot.legend.name = NULL ; dot.tidy = TRUE ; dot.tidy.bin.nb = 30 ; dot.jitter = 0.25 ; dot.size = 3 ; dot.alpha = 0.5 ; dot.border.size = 0.5 ; dot.border.color = NULL ; y.lim = NULL ; y.log = "no" ; y.tick.nb = NULL ; y.second.tick.nb = NULL ; y.include.zero = FALSE ; y.top.extra.margin = 0.05 ; y.bottom.extra.margin = 0.05 ; stat.disp = NULL ; stat.disp.mean = FALSE ; stat.size = 4 ; stat.dist = 2 ; x.lab = NULL ; y.lab = NULL ; vertical = TRUE ; text.size = 12 ; title = "" ; title.text.size = 8 ; legend.width = 0.5 ; text.angle = 0 ; article = FALSE ; grid = FALSE ; return = FALSE ; return.ggplot = FALSE ; plot = TRUE ; add = NULL ; warn.print = FALSE ; lib.path = NULL
-# set.seed(1) ; obs1 <- data.frame(Time = c(rnorm(10), rnorm(10) + 2), Group1 = rep(c("G", "H"), each = 10), Group2 = rep(c("A", "B"), time = 10)) ; set.seed(NULL) ; data1 = obs1 ; y = "Time" ; categ = c("Group1") ; categ.class.order = list(c("H", "G")); box.legend.name = NULL ; categ.color = c("blue") ; box.fill = FALSE ; box.width = 0.5 ; box.space = 0.1 ; box.notch = TRUE ; box.line.size = 1 ; box.alpha = 1 ; box.mean = FALSE ; box.whisker.kind = "max" ; box.whisker.width = 0 ; dot.color = "black" ; dot.categ = "Group1" ; dot.categ.class.order = NULL ; dot.legend.name = NULL ; dot.tidy = TRUE ; dot.tidy.bin.nb = 30 ; dot.jitter = 0.25 ; dot.size = 3 ; dot.alpha = 0.5 ; dot.border.size = 0.5 ; dot.border.color = NULL ; y.lim = NULL ; y.log = "log10" ; y.tick.nb = NULL ; y.second.tick.nb = NULL ; y.include.zero = FALSE ; y.top.extra.margin = 0.05 ; y.bottom.extra.margin = 0.05 ; stat.disp = NULL ; stat.disp.mean = FALSE ; stat.size = 4 ; stat.dist = 2 ; x.lab = NULL ; y.lab = NULL ; vertical = TRUE ; text.size = 12 ; title = "" ; title.text.size = 8 ; legend.width = 0.5 ; text.angle = 0 ; article = FALSE ; grid = FALSE ; return = FALSE ; return.ggplot = FALSE ; plot = TRUE ; add = NULL ; warn.print = FALSE ; lib.path = NULL
+# set.seed(1) ; obs1 <- data.frame(Time = c(rnorm(10), rnorm(10) + 2), Group1 = rep(c("G", "H"), each = 10), stringsAsFactors = TRUE) ; set.seed(NULL) ; obs1$Time[1:10] <- NA ; data1 = obs1 ; y = "Time" ; categ = c("Group1") ; categ.class.order = NULL ; box.legend.name = NULL ; categ.color = c("green") ; box.fill = FALSE ; box.width = 0.5 ; box.space = 0.1 ; box.notch = FALSE ; box.line.size = 0.5 ; box.alpha = 0.5 ; box.mean = TRUE ; box.whisker.kind = "std" ; box.whisker.width = 0.5 ; dot.color = "black" ; dot.categ = "Group1"; dot.categ.class.order = c("G", "H") ; dot.legend.name = NULL ; dot.tidy = TRUE ; dot.tidy.bin.nb = 50 ; dot.jitter = 0.25 ; dot.size = 3 ; dot.alpha = 0.5 ; dot.border.size = 0.5 ; dot.border.color = NULL ; y.lim = NULL ; y.log = "no" ; y.tick.nb = NULL ; y.second.tick.nb = NULL ; y.include.zero = FALSE ; y.top.extra.margin = 0.05 ; y.bottom.extra.margin = 0.05 ; stat.disp = NULL ; stat.disp.mean = FALSE ; stat.size = 4 ; stat.dist = 2 ; x.lab = NULL ; y.lab = NULL ; vertical = TRUE ; text.size = 12 ; title = "" ; title.text.size = 8 ; legend.show = TRUE ; legend.width = 0.5 ; text.angle = 0 ; article = FALSE ; grid = FALSE ; return = TRUE ; return.ggplot = FALSE ; plot = TRUE ; add = NULL ; warn.print = FALSE ; lib.path = NULL
+# set.seed(1) ; obs1 <- data.frame(Time = c(rnorm(10), rnorm(10) + 2), Group1 = rep(c("G", "H"), each = 10), Group2 = rep(c("A", "B"), time = 10), Group3 = rep(c("I", "J"), time = 10), stringsAsFactors = TRUE) ; set.seed(NULL) ; obs1$Time[1:10] <- NA ; data1 = obs1 ; y = "Time" ; categ = c("Group1", "Group2") ; categ.class.order = list(c("G", "H"), c("A", "B")); box.legend.name = NULL ; categ.color = c("green", "blue") ; box.fill = FALSE ; box.width = 0.5 ; box.space = 0.1 ; box.notch = FALSE ; box.line.size = 0.5 ; box.alpha = 0.5 ; box.mean = TRUE ; box.whisker.kind = "std" ; box.whisker.width = 0.5 ; dot.color = "black" ; dot.categ = "Group1" ; dot.categ.class.order = NULL ; dot.legend.name = NULL ; dot.tidy = TRUE ; dot.tidy.bin.nb = 30 ; dot.jitter = 0.25 ; dot.size = 3 ; dot.alpha = 0.5 ; dot.border.size = 0.5 ; dot.border.color = NULL ; y.lim = NULL ; y.log = "no" ; y.tick.nb = NULL ; y.second.tick.nb = NULL ; y.include.zero = FALSE ; y.top.extra.margin = 0.05 ; y.bottom.extra.margin = 0.05 ; stat.disp = NULL ; stat.disp.mean = FALSE ; stat.size = 4 ; stat.dist = 2 ; x.lab = NULL ; y.lab = NULL ; vertical = TRUE ; text.size = 12 ; title = "" ; title.text.size = 8 ; legend.show = TRUE ; legend.width = 0.5 ; text.angle = 0 ; article = FALSE ; grid = FALSE ; return = FALSE ; return.ggplot = FALSE ; plot = TRUE ; add = NULL ; warn.print = FALSE ; lib.path = NULL
+# set.seed(1) ; obs1 <- data.frame(Time = c(rnorm(10), rnorm(10) + 2), Group1 = rep(c("G", "H"), each = 10), Group2 = rep(c("A", "B"), time = 10), stringsAsFactors = TRUE) ; set.seed(NULL) ; data1 = obs1 ; y = "Time" ; categ = c("Group1") ; categ.class.order = list(c("H", "G")); box.legend.name = NULL ; categ.color = c("blue") ; box.fill = FALSE ; box.width = 0.5 ; box.space = 0.1 ; box.notch = TRUE ; box.line.size = 1 ; box.alpha = 1 ; box.mean = FALSE ; box.whisker.kind = "max" ; box.whisker.width = 0 ; dot.color = "black" ; dot.categ = "Group1" ; dot.categ.class.order = NULL ; dot.legend.name = NULL ; dot.tidy = TRUE ; dot.tidy.bin.nb = 30 ; dot.jitter = 0.25 ; dot.size = 3 ; dot.alpha = 0.5 ; dot.border.size = 0.5 ; dot.border.color = NULL ; y.lim = NULL ; y.log = "log10" ; y.tick.nb = NULL ; y.second.tick.nb = NULL ; y.include.zero = FALSE ; y.top.extra.margin = 0.05 ; y.bottom.extra.margin = 0.05 ; stat.disp = NULL ; stat.disp.mean = FALSE ; stat.size = 4 ; stat.dist = 2 ; x.lab = NULL ; y.lab = NULL ; vertical = TRUE ; text.size = 12 ; title = "" ; title.text.size = 8 ; legend.width = 0.5 ; legend.show = TRUE ; text.angle = 0 ; article = FALSE ; grid = FALSE ; return = FALSE ; return.ggplot = FALSE ; plot = TRUE ; add = NULL ; warn.print = FALSE ; lib.path = NULL
 # function name
 function.name <- paste0(as.list(match.call(expand.dots=FALSE))[[1]], "()")
 arg.user.setting <- as.list(match.call(expand.dots=FALSE))[-1] # list of the argument settings (excluding default values not provided by the user)
@@ -8673,8 +8674,11 @@ warn <- paste0(ifelse(is.null(warn), tempo.warn, paste0(warn, "\n\n", tempo.warn
 
 
 # package checking
-fun_pack(req.package = c("ggplot2"), lib.path = lib.path)
-fun_pack(req.package = c("scales"), lib.path = lib.path)
+fun_pack(req.package = c(
+"ggplot2", 
+"gridExtra", 
+"scales"
+), lib.path = lib.path)
 # end package checking
 
 
@@ -9425,7 +9429,7 @@ stat.coord2 <- aggregate(x = tempo.stat.ini["y"], by = {x.env <- if(length(categ
 names(stat.coord2) <- paste0(names(stat.coord2), "_from.dot.max")
 names(stat.coord2)[names(stat.coord2) == "y_from.dot.max"] <- "dot.max"
 stat.coord3 <- cbind(box.coord[order(box.coord$x), ], stat.coord1[order(stat.coord1$x.y), ], stat.coord2[order(stat.coord2$x.y), ]) # should be ok to use box.coord$x and stat.coord$x.y to assemble the two data frames because x coordinates of the boxes. Thus, we cannot have identical values
-if( ! all(identical(round(stat.coord3$x, 9), round(stat.coord3$x.y, 9)))){
+if( ! all(identical(round(as.numeric(stat.coord3$x), 9), round(stat.coord3$x.y, 9)))){ # as.numeric() because stat.coord3$x is class "mapped_discrete" "numeric"
 tempo.cat <- paste0("\n\n================\n\nINTERNAL CODE ERROR IN ", function.name, "\nFUSION OF box.coord, stat.coord1 AND stat.coord2 ACCORDING TO box.coord$x, stat.coord1$x.y AND stat.coord2$x.y IS NOT CORRECT. CODE HAS TO BE MODIFIED\n\n================\n\n")
 stop(tempo.cat)
 }
@@ -9658,6 +9662,10 @@ return(output) # this plots the graph if return.ggplot is TRUE and if no assignm
 
 
 
+
+
+
+
 fun_gg_scatter <- function(
 data1, 
 x, 
diff --git a/fun_gg_boxplot.docx b/fun_gg_boxplot.docx
index 440fdacfe95813c01f8103801da877f2a5c4b3ee..ec4bb970f4c8bc8cf8dac1700ef2f34f7fe67b84 100644
Binary files a/fun_gg_boxplot.docx and b/fun_gg_boxplot.docx differ