[R] How to print labels and how to add missing label values?

[David Winsemius]

On Nov 24, 2014, at 10:23 AM, Edoardo Prestianni wrote:

> Hello everyone,
> 
> Sorry for the "rookie" question but this is really beyond me at the moment.
> 
> Here is my problem
> 
> I have three datasets I am trying to work on. They're three panels.
> 
> They have this variable, 'kecnum', which is present in all the three
> datasets, and it looks like it has been labeled in only one of the three
> datasets.
> 
> When I import the datasets, R gives me a WARNING, stating
> 
> [code] value labels (‘kecnum’) for ‘kecnum’ are missing [/code]

You did not offer the input statements that you used. The warning suggest to me that you are using a function for reading SPSS or SAS data files.. The "here it is not.png" image shows a factor variable, suggesting there was a non-numeric value detected in the automatic guessing process used by the read.* functions, and that a character/integer representation was automatically chosen for only one. The otehr two were all unquoted integers and so came in as integers.

> 
> for two datasets out of three.
> 
> 
> Looking at the tables, you see that the variable grows normally...   (like
> 1, 1, 2, 2, 3, 3, 4, 4, 5, 5...) in the datasets for which the warning is
> given.
> For the dataset for which the warning is NOT given, I just have a list of
> "NA"

 Was there a value in that position in the first line of data?

> 
> 
> If I use the "describe" command, R prints out just
> [code] kecnum : Variable label for variable kecnum [/code]
> for all the THREE datasets.
> 

There must be 5 or six packages with a 'describe' function, and it's clear you are not using the one I typically use.
> 
> Only using Rstudio I can "see" a difference in the labeling of the variable
> between the datasets for which I am "warned" and the one for which I am not
> (screenshots attatched)
> 
> 
> But I have no idea on how to print that stuff out on a terminal. And most
> of all, on how to fix my datasets.

Most people would use the 'str' function.  And if we are to advise on how to fix a dataset, then we would need to know what you consider correct, which you have not yet stated.

> 
> 
> Thank you very much for your time.
> <here it is missing.png><here it is not.png>______________________________________________
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David Winsemius
Alameda, CA, USA