[R] Data read as labels

[David Winsemius]

On May 15, 2012, at 11:13 AM, barb wrote:

> Hey David,
>
> i tried all this - it doesn´t work :(

Sadder and less informative words were never written!

Learn to express in natural language or in code what you were  
expecting rather than use the phrase "doesn't work" which can mean one  
of an almost infinite sources of programming failure.

>
> file<-read.csv2(tmp,sep=";",skip="5") # or
> file<-read.csv2(tmp,sep=";",skip="5",stringsAsFactors=FALSE)a<- 
> (relevant<-file[,2])
> clean <- as.numeric(levels(a))[as.integer(a)]
> clean<-as.numeric(as.character(a))
>

When I do that, I get a series of comma-separated digit values inside  
strings (because the default setting for the decimal separator is  
period = Punct auf Deutsch if I remember my lessons from 40 years ago,  
"." and not Komma ) so at the end I get:

....
[490] "94801,00"
[491] "85013,00"
[492] "85982,00"
[493] "91213,00"
[494] "98912,00"
[495] "Bemerkung: "
[496] "Methodik: Ab Januar 1993 einschl. der Zuschätzungen für  
nichtmelde- pflichtigen Außenhandel, die bis Dezember 1992 in den  
Ergänzungen zum Außenhandel enthalten sind."

So what is "not working" and what would be "success"? Is this  
successful?

 > aconv <- sub("\\,", ".", a)
 > str(as.numeric(aconv))
  num [1:496] 10716 12897 11330 10930 11485 ...
Warning message:
In str(as.numeric(aconv)) : NAs introduced by coercion
 > as.numeric(aconv[480:494])
  [1] 78645.63 84067.37 98180.37 84252.25 92003.35 88139.63 85664.93  
85138.00 94960.00
[10] 89170.00 94801.00 85013.00 85982.00 91213.00 98912.00



>
> i often use noquote and strsplit and then convert data, but i never  
> dealed
> with that kind of data
> and it drives me crazy =)
>
> --
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> Sent from the R help mailing list archive at Nabble.com.
>
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David Winsemius, MD
West Hartford, CT