[R] how to view/edit large matrix/array in R?

[R. Michael Weylandt <michael.weylandt@gmail.com>]

I think what most everyone is getting at is that the visual identification of numeric outliers is an exceedingly difficult task and one we humans are not well evolved for. Rather they are all suggesting you use visual techniques to spot and fix outliers individually. This practice has a long and reputable history in statistics and has been shown to be far more efficient than simply scanning pages of numbers for a single misplaced decimal. In conjunction, I'd also recommend use of the identify() function, which serves just this purpose. 

If you have so much data that the csv export is unbearably slow it seems unlikely you can check it all by hand. 

Another, more general, methodology if you are worried about data corruption is to use robust statistics when applicable. 

Michael

On Dec 5, 2011, at 10:27 PM, Michael <comtech.usa at gmail.com> wrote:

> In R-Studio, "edit" gives non-grid based format which is similar to "fix"...
> 
> But exporting to Excel is time-consuming...
> 
> On Mon, Dec 5, 2011 at 9:17 PM, jim holtman <jholtman at gmail.com> wrote:
> 
>> 'edit' does allow you to change it.  If all else fails, export to
>> Excel, split the screen and then synchronize the two displays.
>> 
>> On Mon, Dec 5, 2011 at 9:52 PM, Michael <comtech.usa at gmail.com> wrote:
>>> View doesn't allow editing? And not multi-window so I cannot put
>> variables
>>> side-by-side for comparsion? Thanks!
>>> 
>>> On Mon, Dec 5, 2011 at 7:37 PM, jim holtman <jholtman at gmail.com> wrote:
>>>> 
>>>> Have you tried
>>>> 
>>>> ?View
>>>> ?edit
>>>> 
>>>> On Mon, Dec 5, 2011 at 8:12 PM, Bert Gunter <gunter.berton at gene.com>
>>>> wrote:
>>>>> ... and do you really think perusing thousands of numbers by eye is
>>>>> any way to edit/check data?!
>>>>> 
>>>>> Personal viewpoint: I would say that this is a large area of
>>>>> statistics and data analysis that the discipline fails to address in
>>>>> any systematic way ... perhaps because there is no way to address it
>>>>> systematically? Contrary views and corrections -- especially
>>>>> references! -- would be very welcome.
>>>>> 
>>>>> My advice would be: graphics! -- but I can't provide anything more
>>>>> useful without the specifics of the problem.
>>>>> 
>>>>> Some packages may provide the interactivity you seek -- check the CRAN
>>>>> GUI task view, R Commander, etc.
>>>>> 
>>>>> -- Bert
>>>>> 
>>>>> On Mon, Dec 5, 2011 at 5:01 PM, Michael <comtech.usa at gmail.com>
>> wrote:
>>>>>> head, tail and fix commands don't really work well if I have large
>>>>>> matrix/array for which I would like to be able to scroll up and dow,
>>>>>> left
>>>>>> and right ...
>>>>>> 
>>>>>> Could anybody please help me?
>>>>>> 
>>>>>> Thanks
>>>>>> 
>>>>>>       [[alternative HTML version deleted]]
>>>>>> 
>>>>>> ______________________________________________
>>>>>> R-help at r-project.org mailing list
>>>>>> https://stat.ethz.ch/mailman/listinfo/r-help
>>>>>> PLEASE do read the posting guide
>>>>>> http://www.R-project.org/posting-guide.html<http://www.r-project.org/posting-guide.html>
>>>>>> and provide commented, minimal, self-contained, reproducible code.
>>>>> 
>>>>> 
>>>>> 
>>>>> --
>>>>> 
>>>>> Bert Gunter
>>>>> Genentech Nonclinical Biostatistics
>>>>> 
>>>>> Internal Contact Info:
>>>>> Phone: 467-7374
>>>>> Website:
>>>>> 
>>>>> 
>> http://pharmadevelopment.roche.com/index/pdb/pdb-functional-groups/pdb-biostatistics/pdb-ncb-home.htm
>>>>> 
>>>>> ______________________________________________
>>>>> R-help at r-project.org mailing list
>>>>> https://stat.ethz.ch/mailman/listinfo/r-help
>>>>> PLEASE do read the posting guide
>>>>> http://www.R-project.org/posting-guide.html<http://www.r-project.org/posting-guide.html>
>>>>> and provide commented, minimal, self-contained, reproducible code.
>>>> 
>>>> 
>>>> 
>>>> --
>>>> Jim Holtman
>>>> Data Munger Guru
>>>> 
>>>> What is the problem that you are trying to solve?
>>>> Tell me what you want to do, not how you want to do it.
>>> 
>>> 
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> --
>> Jim Holtman
>> Data Munger Guru
>> 
>> What is the problem that you are trying to solve?
>> Tell me what you want to do, not how you want to do it.
>> 
> 
>    [[alternative HTML version deleted]]
> 
> ______________________________________________
> R-help at r-project.org mailing list
> https://stat.ethz.ch/mailman/listinfo/r-help
> PLEASE do read the posting guide http://www.R-project.org/posting-guide.html
> and provide commented, minimal, self-contained, reproducible code.