[R] Fw: RE: Variable length datafile import problem

[John Kane]

--- On Thu, 2/17/11, John Kane <jrkrideau at yahoo.ca> wrote:

> From: John Kane <jrkrideau at yahoo.ca>
> Subject: RE: [R] Variable length datafile import problem
> To: "Ingo Reinhold" <ingor at kth.se>
> Received: Thursday, February 17, 2011, 5:54 AM
> Generally most of the gurus are in
> this list.  Hopefully someone will take an interest in
> the problem. 
> 
> I suspect that there may be some kind of weird value in the
> file that is upsetting in import.  Given the results I
> got when I removed the data past BD and then at AL it seems
> that the problem might be within this range.
> 
> You could try removing half the data between those columns
> and see what happens, then repeat if something turns up.
> It's tedious but unless someone with a better grasp of
> variable length data import can help it's the best I can
> suggest.
> 
> BTW you only replied to me.  You should make sure to
> cc the list otherwise readers won't realise that I am being
> of no help.
> 
> If you still have the problem by Saturday e-mail me or post
> to the list and I'll try to spent some more time messing
> about with the problem.
> 
> Sorry to be of so little help.
> --- On Thu, 2/17/11, Ingo Reinhold <ingor at kth.se>
> wrote:
> 
> > From: Ingo Reinhold <ingor at kth.se>
> > Subject: RE: [R] Variable length datafile import
> problem
> > To: "John Kane" <jrkrideau at yahoo.ca>
> > Received: Thursday, February 17, 2011, 5:36 AM
> > Hi John, 
> > 
> > as it seems we're hitting the wall here, can you
> maybe
> > recommend another mailing list with "gurus" (as you
> put it)
> > that may be able to help?
> > 
> > Regards, 
> > 
> > Ingo
> > ________________________________________
> > From: John Kane [jrkrideau at yahoo.ca]
> > Sent: Thursday, February 17, 2011 11:25 AM
> > To: Ingo Reinhold
> > Subject: RE: [R] Variable length datafile import
> problem
> > 
> > Hi Ingo,
> > 
> > I've had a bit of time to examine the file and I must
> say
> > that, at the moment, I have no idea what is going
> on. 
> > I tried the old cut the file into pieces trick just
> came up
> > with even more anomalous results.
> > 
> > My first attempt remove all the data past column AL in
> an
> > OOo Calc spreadsheet.  This created a rectangular
> > dataset It imported into R with no problem with 38
> columns
> > as expected.
> > 
> > Then I deleted all the data from the orignal data
> file
> > (test.dat) removing all the data past column BD in an
> OOo
> > Calc spreadsheet.
> > 
> > This imported a file with only 38 columns.
> > 
> > Something very funny is happening but at the moment I
> have
> > no
> > 
> > --- On Wed, 2/16/11, Ingo Reinhold <ingor at kth.se>
> > wrote:
> > 
> > > From: Ingo Reinhold <ingor at kth.se>
> > > Subject: RE: [R] Variable length datafile import
> > problem
> > > To: "John Kane" <jrkrideau at yahoo.ca>
> > > Received: Wednesday, February 16, 2011, 1:59 AM
> > > Hi John,
> > >
> > > V1 should be just a character. However I figured
> > something
> > > out myself. The import looks OK in terms of
> column
> > when
> > > adding the flush=TRUE option.
> > >
> > > I am still very confused about the dimensions
> that
> > the
> > > imported data shows. Loading my data file into
> > something
> > > like OOspreadsheet shows me a maximum of about
> 245,
> > which
> > > does not correspond to the 146 generated by R.
> Any
> > idea
> > > where this saturation comes from?
> > >
> > > Thanks,
> > >
> > > Ingo
> > > ________________________________________
> > > From: John Kane [jrkrideau at yahoo.ca]
> > > Sent: Wednesday, February 16, 2011 1:57 AM
> > > To: Ingo Reinhold
> > > Subject: RE: [R] Variable length datafile import
> > problem
> > >
> > > Is rawData$V1 intended to be factor or
> character?
> > >
> > > str(rawData) gives
> > > $ V1  : Factor w/ 54 levels
> "-232.0","-234.0",..:
> > 41
> > > 41 41 41 41 41 41 41 41 41 ...
> > >
> > > If you were not expecting a factor you might try
> > > options(stringsAsFactors = FALSE) before
> importing
> > the
> > > data.
> > >
> > > --- On Tue, 2/15/11, Ingo Reinhold <ingor at kth.se>
> > > wrote:
> > >
> > > > From: Ingo Reinhold <ingor at kth.se>
> > > > Subject: RE: [R] Variable length datafile
> import
> > > problem
> > > > To: "John Kane" <jrkrideau at yahoo.ca>
> > > > Received: Tuesday, February 15, 2011, 3:35
> PM
> > > > Dear all,
> > > >
> > > > I have changed the file-ending with no
> change in
> > the
> > > > result. I don't think that this should
> matter.
> > > >
> > > > http://dl.dropbox.com/u/2414056/Test.dat
> > > > is a test file which represent the structure
> I
> > am
> > > trying to
> > > > read. So far I have used
> > > >
> > > > rawData=read.table("Test.txt", fill=TRUE,
> > sep="\t",
> > > > header=FALSE);
> > > >
> > > > When then looking at rawData$V1 this gives
> me a
> > > distorted
> > > > view of my original first column.
> > > >
> > > > Thanks,
> > > >
> > > > Ingo
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > 
> > 
> > 
> > 
> 
> 
>