[R] Ordering data by variable

[Greg Snow]

Suggestion:  use the power of R.

If x and y are independent then sorting y based on x is meaningless.

If sorting y based on x is meaningful, then they are not independent.

Trying to force non-independent things to pretend that they are independent just causes future headaches.

Part of the great power of R is the ability to group things together that should be grouped.  The wise learn this and use it (in some cases (mine) that wisdom comes at the expense of not having properly grouped in the past).

Learn the power of with/within, data= arguments, and apply style functions, then you will be eager to combine things into data frames (or lists or ...) when appropriate.

<<descend from soapbox>>

-- 
Gregory (Greg) L. Snow Ph.D.
Statistical Data Center
Intermountain Healthcare
greg.snow at imail.org
801.408.8111


> -----Original Message-----
> From: r-help-bounces at r-project.org [mailto:r-help-bounces at r-
> project.org] On Behalf Of Mestat
> Sent: Thursday, September 02, 2010 2:49 PM
> To: r-help at r-project.org
> Subject: [R] Ordering data by variable
> 
> 
> Hi listers,
> I could order a data that like this:
> x<-c(2,6,8,8,1)
> y<-c(1,6,3,5,4)
> o<-order(x)
> frame<-rbind(x,y)[,o]
> But, I would like to know if there is a way to order my data without
> setting
> up a data frame. I would like to keep independent vectors x and y.
> Any suggestions?
> Thanks in advance,
> Marcio
> --
> View this message in context: http://r.789695.n4.nabble.com/Ordering-
> data-by-variable-tp2524754p2524754.html
> Sent from the R help mailing list archive at Nabble.com.
> 
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