[R] Subsetting an array by a vector of dimensions

[Wolfgang Huber]

Hi Richard,

what is wrong with Patrick's suggestion? I get

x <- array(1:24, dim=2:4)
x[rbind(c(1,1,2))]
## [1] 7
x[rbind(c(1,1,2))] <- 13
x[rbind(c(1,1,2))]
## [1] 13

And you could also do

   do.call("[", list(x,1,1,2))

These should be a bit quicker than the eval/parse constructs - see also 	
         library("fortunes")
	fortune(106)

Also note that your "subsetArray<-" function will afaIu each time copy 
(and then modify) the whole array, which may be quite inefficient. I 
believe that the "[<-" function has been optimized to avoid that in some 
cases. Try

  x=numeric(1e6); system.time({for (i in 1:1000) x[i]=12})

versus

  x=numeric(1e6); system.time({for (i in 1:1000) {y=x; y[i]=12}})

	Best wishes
	Wolfgang

----------------------------------------------------
Wolfgang Huber, EMBL-EBI, http://www.ebi.ac.uk/huber




Richard Pearson wrote:
> In case anyone's still interested, I now have (I think!) a complete 
> solution (thanks to a quick look at my new favourite document - S Poetry 
> :-)
> 
> subsetArray <- function(x, subset) {
>   subsetString <- paste(subset, collapse=",")
>   subsetString <- gsub("NA","",subsetString)
>   evalString <- paste(expression(x), "[", subsetString, "]")
>   eval(parse(text=evalString))
> }
> 
> "subsetArray<-"<- function(x, subset, value) {
>   subsetString <- paste(subset, collapse=",")
>   subsetString <- gsub("NA","",subsetString)
>   evalString <- paste(expression(x), "[", subsetString, "] <-", 
> expression(value))
>   eval(parse(text=evalString))
>   x
> }
> 
> x <- array(1:24, dim=2:4)
> subsetArray(x, c(1,1,2))
> subsetArray(x, c(1,1,2)) <- 25
> x
> 
> Thanks to Pat!
> 
> Richard
> 
> 
> Richard Pearson wrote:
>> My understanding of matrix subscripting is that this can be used to 
>> access arbitrary elements from an array and return them as a vector, 
>> but I don't understand how that helps me here. I've now written a 
>> function that seems to do what I originally wanted, but I've also 
>> realised I want to do assignment too. I need to read up more on 
>> writing assignment functions to do this. However, I'm thinking that 
>> someone has already solved this, in a far more elegant way than my 
>> hacking :-). Here's my function for anyone interested:
>>
>>> subsetArray <- function(x, subset) {
>> +   subsetString <- paste(subset, collapse=",")
>> +   subsetString <- gsub("NA","",subsetString)
>> +   evalString <- paste(expression(x), "[", subsetString, "]")
>> +   eval(parse(text=evalString))
>> + }
>>> x <- array(1:24, dim=2:4)
>>> subsetArray(x, c(1,1,2))
>> [1] 7
>>> subsetArray(x, c(1,NA,2))
>> [1]  7  9 11
>>> subsetArray(x, c(1,NA,NA))
>>     [,1] [,2] [,3] [,4]
>> [1,]    1    7   13   19
>> [2,]    3    9   15   21
>> [3,]    5   11   17   23
>>>
>>> subsetArray(x, c(1,1,2)) <- 25
>> Error in subsetArray(x, c(1, 1, 2)) <- 25 :  could not find function 
>> "subsetArray<-"
>>
>> Best wishes
>>
>> Richard.
>>
>>
>> Patrick Burns wrote:
>>> I think you are looking for subscripting with a
>>> matrix:
>>>
>>> x[cbind(1,1,2)]
>>>
>>> See, for instance, the subscripting section of chapter 1
>>> of S Poetry.
>>>
>>>
>>> Patrick Burns
>>> patrick a burns-stat.com
>>> +44 (0)20 8525 0696
>>> http://www.burns-stat.com
>>> (home of S Poetry and "A Guide for the Unwilling S User")
>>>
>>> Richard Pearson wrote:
>>>> Hi
>>>>
>>>> Is it possible to subset an n-dimensional array by a vector of n 
>>>> dimensions? E.g. assume I have
>>>>
>>>>> x <- array(1:24, dim=2:4)
>>>>> x[1,1,2]
>>>> [1] 7
>>>>> dims <- c(1,1,2)
>>>>
>>>> I would like a function that I can supply x and dims as parameters 
>>>> to, and have it return 7. Also, I would like to do something like:
>>>>
>>>>> x[1,1,]
>>>> [1]  1  7 13 19
>>>>> dims2<- c(1,1,NA)
>>>>
>>>> And have a function of x and dims2 that gives me back [1]  1  7 13 19
>>>>
>>>> Does such a thing exist?
>>>>
>>>> Thanks
>>>>
>>>> Richard