[R] Don't understand write.csv default: Why is column name for column of row names blank?

[Earl F. Glynn]

I've always been frustrated that R never puts a label on the column name for 
a column of row names.  This is usually the "key" in a database table, and 
it sure would be nice to carry a "key" name along with the data instead of 
the field being blank.  So, why is it a good idea for it to be blank?

?write.csv  says this:

    CSV files
    By default there is no column name for a column of row names. If 
col.names = NA and row.names = TRUE
    a blank column name is added, which is the convention used for CSV files 
to be read by spreadsheets.


This last sentence doesn't make any sense to me:  "the convention used for 
CSV files to be read by spreadsheets".  Spreadsheets don't care whether this 
column is blank or has useful information.  R may have a convention to leave 
the column name for a column of row names blank (I don't understand why), 
but most other applications do not.

I seem to spend a lot of time trying to get this blank field "fixed" since 
it's just not right to have a database "key" be blank.  I often must 
manually edit the .csv file written by R since that's easier than the kludge 
to put the column names in a new column one so they can have a column name 
too, and then suppress the row names in the write.csv.

What am I missing?  Is there an easy way to fill this blank field  with a 
useful name for a database key when using write.csv defaults?

Thanks for any insight on this.

efg

Earl F. Glynn
Scientific Programmer
Stowers Institute for Medical Research