[R] vector comparison

[Chuck Cleland]

On 6/5/2008 6:38 AM, Karin Lagesen wrote:
> I know this is fairly basic, but I must have somehow missed it in the
> manuals.
> 
> I have two vectors, often of unequal length. I would like to compare
> them for identity. Order of elements do not matter, but they should
> contain the same.
> 
> I.e: I want this kind of comparison:
> 
>> if (1==1) show("yes") else show("blah")
> [1] "yes"
>> if (1==2) show("yes") else show("blah")
> [1] "blah"
> 
> Only replace the numbers with for instance the vectors 
> 
>> a = c("a")
>> b = c("b","c")
>> c = c("c","b")
> 
> 
> Now, I realize I only get a warning when comparing things, but this to
> me means that I am not doing it correctly:
> 
>> if (a==a) show("yes") else show("blah")
> [1] "yes"
>> if (a==b) show("yes") else show("blah")
> [1] "blah"
> Warning message:
> In if (a == b) show("yes") else show("blah") :
>   the condition has length > 1 and only the first element will be used
>> if (b == c) show("yes") else show("blah")
> [1] "blah"
> Warning message:
> In if (b == c) show("yes") else show("blah") :
>   the condition has length > 1 and only the first element will be used
> 
> I have also tried the %in% comparator, but that one throws warnings too:
> 
>> if (b %in% c) show("yes") else show("blah")
> [1] "yes"
> Warning message:
> In if (b %in% c) show("yes") else show("blah") :
>   the condition has length > 1 and only the first element will be used
>> if (c %in% c) show("yes") else show("blah")
> [1] "yes"
> Warning message:
> In if (c %in% c) show("yes") else show("blah") :
>   the condition has length > 1 and only the first element will be used
> 
> So, how is this really supposed to be done?

a <- c("a")
b <- c("b","c")
c <- c("c","b")

if (setequal(a, b)) show("yes") else show("blah")
[1] "blah"

if (setequal(a, c)) show("yes") else show("blah")
[1] "blah"

if (setequal(b, c)) show("yes") else show("blah")
[1] "yes"

?setequal

> Thanks!
> 
> Karin
> 
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-- 
Chuck Cleland, Ph.D.
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