Factor variables are not vectors...
Martin Maechler
Martin Maechler <maechler@stat.math.ethz.ch>
Mon, 26 Jan 1998 18:58:54 +0100
[diverted from R-help to R-devel; this gets technical ...]
>>>>> "TL" == Thomas Lumley <thomas@biostat.washington.edu> writes:
TL> On Mon, 26 Jan 1998, Jim Lindsey wrote:
>> 2. Factor variables are not vectors!!
>> is.vector(gl(20,2,40)) gives FALSE
TL> Even stranger
R> is.vector(factor(1:3))# [1] FALSE
R> is.factor(factor(1:3))# [1] TRUE
R> is.vector(as.vector(factor(1:3)))# [1] TRUE
R> is.factor(as.vector(factor(1:3)))# [1] TRUE
TL> so that factor variables *can* be vectors, but aren't naturally.
and why should they, really?
(BTW, they are not either in S-plus, by the way).
In your code, shouldn't you test rather
if(!is.array(..))
instead?
-------------------
But if we are bashing on is.vector(.):
Here is an excerpt from a mail I wrote more than 9 months ago:
##- Date: Mon, 7 Apr 97 09:33:51 +0200
##- From: Martin Maechler <maechler@stat.math.ethz.ch>
##- Cc: r-devel@stat.math.ethz.ch
##- In-Reply-To: <199704062058.IAA09618@stat1.stat.auckland.ac.nz> (message from
##-
##- Ross>> Another reasonable definition of "vector" is !is.array(x).
##- Ross>> or possibly "isVector(x) == 1 && !is.array(x)
##- Yes, I think
##- isVector(x) == 1 && !is.array(x)
##-
##- is the way to go, at least for mode = 'any'
##-
##- Now, for the 2nd argument mode = '...' :
##- I think it should always be more restrictive, i.e.,
##- is.vector(OB, mode= MODE) <--> is.vector(OB) && MODE.test(OB)
##-
##- which is not the case currently [[correcting a typo in $RHOME/TASKS l.449-451]
is.vector(call("ls")) #[1] FALSE --- but SHOULD be 'TRUE'
is.vector(call("ls"), mode='language') #[1] TRUE
is.vector(call("ls"), mode='call') #[1] FALSE
## [[here, is.vector(call("ls"), mode='any') should really return TRUE]]
-----
Martin Maechler
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