[R-sig-DB] Failure to give due credit whilst blaming others for your own mistakes (was Problems with sqlSave)

[Prof Brian Ripley]

On Tue, 11 Nov 2008, Grey Moran wrote:

> Hello,
> I am trying to load data into SQL Server as follows (example
> simplified for discussion purposes). The returned error complains of a
> non existent table, which I can nevertheless "see":
>
>> channel <- odbcConnect("MktRisk")
>> createTable.q <- "CREATE TABLE dbo.Arrests (State CHAR(20) NOT NULL, MURDER DECIMAL(6,3) NOT NULL, ASSAULT INTEGER NOT NULL, URBANPOP INTEGER NOT NULL, RAPE DECIMAL(6,3));"
>> sqlQuery(channel, createTable.q);
> character(0)
>> sqlTables(channel)
>  TABLE_CAT TABLE_SCHEM             TABLE_NAME   TABLE_TYPE REMARKS
> .................
> 19   MktRisk         dbo               sysusers SYSTEM TABLE    <NA>
> 20   MktRisk         dbo                Arrests        TABLE    <NA>
> ..................
>
>> sqlSave(channel, dat=USArrests, tablename=Arrests, rownames = "state", addPK=TRUE)
> Error in sqlSave(channel, dat = USArrests, tablename = Arrests,
> rownames = "state",  :   object "Arrests" not found

That's a simple and basic user error.  From the help

tablename: character: a database table name accessible from the
           connected dsn.  If missing, the name of 'dat'.

The error message says that there is no variable Arrests, and presumably 
"Arrests" was meant.  That is not taking into account that schema seem to 
be in use and no schema was selected.  (I don't use 'SQL Server', but 
selecting the schema is necessary in some other DBMS.)

Note that 'Grey Moran' has given no credit whatsoever for the work of 
others he is using, not even mentioning the package name.  This is not the 
first offence, and we expect much better in any future help requests -- 
and studying the R posting guide is not optional.

-- 
Brian D. Ripley,                  ripley using stats.ox.ac.uk
Professor of Applied Statistics,  http://www.stats.ox.ac.uk/~ripley/
University of Oxford,             Tel:  +44 1865 272861 (self)
1 South Parks Road,                     +44 1865 272866 (PA)
Oxford OX1 3TG, UK                Fax:  +44 1865 272595