[R] Reset R environment through R command

[Nordlund, Dan (DSHS/RDA)]

> -----Original Message-----
> From: r-help-bounces at r-project.org [mailto:r-help-bounces at r-
> project.org] On Behalf Of Ralf B
> Sent: Thursday, July 29, 2010 10:27 AM
> To: r-help at r-project.org
> Subject: Re: [R] Reset R environment through R command
> 
> With environment I actually meant workspace.
> 
> On Thu, Jul 29, 2010 at 1:22 PM, Ralf B <ralf.bierig at gmail.com> wrote:
> > Is it possible to remove all variables in the current environment
> > through a R command.
> >
> > Here is what I want:
> >
> > x <- 5
> > y < 10:20
> > reset()
> > print(x)
> > print(y)
> >
> > Output should be NULL for x and y, and not 5 and 10:20.
> >
> > Can one do that in R?
> >
> > Best,
> > Ralf
> >
> 

Ralf,

You said you wanted to REMOVE the variables from the workspace, and you have received some good replies about how to do that.  However, you then wrote:
  
"Output should be NULL for x and y, and not 5 and 10:20."

Removing the variables is different from setting the variables to NULL.  If you remove the variables and then try to print them, they won't output NULL.  You will get an error message something like

Error in print(x) : object 'x' not found

So be forewarned if you actually wanted to set the values to NULL.

Hope this is helpful,

Dan

Daniel J. Nordlund
Washington State Department of Social and Health Services
Planning, Performance, and Accountability
Research and Data Analysis Division
Olympia, WA 98504-5204