[R] Windows / RODBC / Accented characters

[Peter Dalgaard BSA]

"Charles RAUX" <Charles.Raux at let.ish-lyon.cnrs.fr> writes:

> A disturbing behaviour of R: an import of data using RODBC library 
> (Windows 98, R 1.1.1) recognizes accented characters in variables 
> names but these can't be manipulated further. See below:
> > library(Rodbc)
> > ch<-odbcConnect("Paradox Files")
> > pollut<-sqlFetch(ch,Pollutio)
> > pollut
>   Mortalité Densité Pollution
> 1        82     600       110
> 2        97     960       140
> 3        76     570        90
> ......
> > attach(pollut)
> > summary(Pollution)
>    Min. 1st Qu.  Median    Mean 3rd Qu.    Max. 
>      90     120     160     160     190     250 
> > summary(Mortalité)
> Error: syntax error
> 
> Is there another solution than changing the names of the fields under 
> Paradox. Or RODBC package should be enhanced to automatically change 
> the accented characters?

The quick way out would be to say

pollut <- sqlFetch(ch,Pollutio)
names(pollut) <- c("Mortalitee", "Densitee", "Pollution")
attach(pollut)

Does make.names work on Windows? (I.e. does it agree with the parser
about what is a valid name?) If it does, then a more general solution
would be 

names(pollut) <- make.names(names(pollut))

although it would make the names a bit uglier: "Mortalit.", "Densit."
-- 
   O__  ---- Peter Dalgaard             Blegdamsvej 3  
  c/ /'_ --- Dept. of Biostatistics     2200 Cph. N   
 (*) \(*) -- University of Copenhagen   Denmark      Ph: (+45) 35327918
~~~~~~~~~~ - (p.dalgaard at biostat.ku.dk)             FAX: (+45) 35327907
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