HI all,

This is probably simple, but I haven't been able to locate the answer either
in the Import Manual or from searching the listserve.

I have tab-delimited data with different numbers of elements in each row. I
want to read it into R, such that R fills in "NA" in elements that have no
data. How do I accomplish this?



Example:


DATA on disk:
      1 -0.068191       -0.050729       -0.113982       -0.044363
-0.072445       -0.044516       -0.048597       -0.051866
-0.051563       -0.041576
      2 -0.032645       -0.062389       -0.054491       -0.058061
-0.034690       -0.038044       -0.045332       -0.043785
-0.050639       -0.049617
      3 -0.068191       -0.044207       -0.058061       -0.050729
-0.034991       -0.045360       -0.051563       -0.060290
-0.043785       -0.048757
      4 -0.068191       -0.062389       -0.050729       -0.058579
-0.056481       -0.044363       -0.042347       -0.060290
-0.051563       -0.037216       -0.041576       -0.056476
      5 -0.068191       -0.047649       -0.062389       -0.058061
-0.034227       -0.185829       -0.071855       -0.064096
-0.195645
      6 -0.040208       -0.068191       -0.036475       -0.041268
-0.044207       -0.044363       -0.034991       -0.059810
-0.051619       -0.051563       -0.037216       -0.041576
-0.019762
      7 -0.068191       -0.034227       -0.044363       -0.051563
-0.041576       -0.053823       -0.057023       -0.046083
-0.089374       -0.057436
      8 -0.068191       -0.050731       -0.044207       -0.169714
-0.060025       -0.048597       -0.037827       -0.053823
-0.055154
      9 -0.062389       -0.044207       -0.050729       -0.044363
-0.043785
     10 -0.040208       -0.036716       -0.068191       -0.051466
-0.050731       -0.050729       -0.048095       -0.044363
-0.044817       -0.059810       -0.051563       -0.037827
-0.053985       -0.059573       -0.052893
     11 -0.068191       -0.034227       -0.048597       -0.051563
-0.041576       -0.056512
     12 -0.040208       -0.050731       -0.044207       -0.048095
-0.044363       -0.044817       -0.037827       -0.053985       -0.059573

My attempts:
x <- read.table("DATA",fill=TRUE,sep="\t",colClasses="numeric")
> x
          V1        V2        V3        V4        V5        V6
V7        V8        V9       V10       V11       V12       V13
1  -0.068191 -0.050729 -0.113982 -0.044363 -0.072445 -0.044516 -0.048597
-0.051866 -0.051563 -0.041576        NA        NA        NA
2  -0.032645 -0.062389 -0.054491 -0.058061 -0.034690 -0.038044 -0.045332
-0.043785 -0.050639 -0.049617        NA        NA        NA
3  -0.068191 -0.044207 -0.058061 -0.050729 -0.034991 -0.045360 -0.051563
-0.060290 -0.043785 -0.048757        NA        NA        NA
4  -0.068191 -0.062389 -0.050729 -0.058579 -0.056481 -0.044363 -0.042347
-0.060290 -0.051563 -0.037216 -0.041576 -0.056476        NA
5  -0.068191 -0.047649 -0.062389 -0.058061 -0.034227 -0.185829 -0.071855
-0.064096 -0.195645        NA        NA        NA        NA
6  -0.040208 -0.068191 -0.036475 -0.041268 -0.044207 -0.044363 -0.034991
-0.059810 -0.051619 -0.051563 -0.037216 -0.041576 -0.019762
7  -0.068191 -0.034227 -0.044363 -0.051563 -0.041576 -0.053823 -0.057023
-0.046083 -0.089374 -0.057436        NA        NA        NA
8  -0.068191 -0.050731 -0.044207 -0.169714 -0.060025 -0.048597 -0.037827
-0.053823 -0.055154        NA        NA        NA        NA
9  -0.062389 -0.044207 -0.050729 -0.044363 -0.043785        NA
NA        NA        NA        NA        NA        NA        NA
10 -0.040208 -0.036716 -0.068191 -0.051466 -0.050731 -0.050729 -0.048095
-0.044363 -0.044817 -0.059810 -0.051563 -0.037827 -0.053985
11 -0.059573 -0.052893        NA        NA        NA        NA
NA        NA        NA        NA        NA        NA        NA
12 -0.068191 -0.034227 -0.048597 -0.051563 -0.041576 -0.056512
NA        NA        NA        NA        NA        NA        NA
13 -0.040208 -0.050731 -0.044207 -0.048095 -0.044363 -0.044817 -0.037827
-0.053985 -0.059573        NA        NA        NA        NA

The above is almost right, but x has 13 rows instead of 12! WHY? Row 10
(which has 15 elements) was cut off at 13, and then the last two elements
were put in a new row. WHY?
I have tried messing with colClasses to no avail. Any help would be ...
umm... helpful!

JJ

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