On Thu, Feb 18, 2016 at 6:03 PM, Cook, Malcolm <m...@stowers.org> wrote:
> Hi Peter,
>
> Sorry if I was not clear. Perhaps an example will make my point:
>
>> data(iris)
>> class(iris$Species)
> [1] "factor"
>> write.table(iris,'data/myiris.tab')
>> data(myiris)
>> class(myiris$Species)
> [1] "factor"
>> rm(myiris)
>> options(stringsAsFactors = FALSE)
>> data(myiris)
>> class(myiris$Species)
> [1] "factor"
>> myiris<-read.table("data/myiris.tab",header=TRUE)
>> class(myiris$Species)
> [1] "character"
>
> I am surprised to find that in the above
> setting the global option stringsAsFactors = FALSE does NOT effect
> how Species is being read in by the `data` function
> whereas
> setting the global option stringsAsFactors = FALSE DOES effect how
> Species is being read in by read.table
>
> especially since data is documented as calling read.table.
>
To be explicit, it's documented as calling read.table(..., header =
TRUE) in this case, but it actually calls read.table(..., header =
TRUE, as.is = FALSE), which results in class(myiris$Species) of
"factor".
R> myiris<-read.table("data/myiris.tab",header=TRUE,as.is=FALSE)
R> class(myiris$Species)
[1] "factor"
So it seems like adding as.is = FALSE to the call in the documentation
would clear this up.
> In my opinion, one or the other should change (the behavior of data, or the
> documentation).
>
> <bleep> <bleep>,
>
> ~ Malcolm
>
>
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: peter dalgaard [mailto:pda...@gmail.com]
> > Sent: Thursday, February 18, 2016 3:32 PM
> > To: Cook, Malcolm <m...@stowers.org>
> > Cc: r-de...@stat.math.ethz.ch
> > Subject: Re: [Rd] should `data` respect default.stringsAsFactors()?
> >
> > What the <bleep> are you on about? data() does many things, only some of
> > which call read.table() et al., and the ones that do have no special
> treatment
> > of stringsAsFactors.
> >
> > -pd
> >
> > > On 18 Feb 2016, at 21:25 , Cook, Malcolm <m...@stowers.org> wrote:
> > >
> > > Hiya,
> > >
> > > Probably been debated elsewhere....
> > >
> > > I note that R's `data` function does not respect default.stringsAsFactors
> > >
> > > By my lights, it should, especially as it is documented to call
> read.table,
> > which DOES respect.
> > >
> > > Oh, but: http://r.789695.n4.nabble.com/stringsAsFactors-FALSE-
> > tp921891p921893.html
> > >
> > > Compelling. I have to agree.
> > >
> > > So, I change my mind.
> > >
> > > By my lights, `data` should then be documented to NOT respect
> > default.stringsAsFactors.
> > >
> > > Else?
> > >
> > > ~Malcolm Cook
> > >
> > > ______________________________________________
> > > R-devel@r-project.org mailing list
> > > https://stat.ethz.ch/mailman/listinfo/r-devel
> >
> > --
> > Peter Dalgaard, Professor,
> > Center for Statistics, Copenhagen Business School
> > Solbjerg Plads 3, 2000 Frederiksberg, Denmark
> > Phone: (+45)38153501
> > Office: A 4.23
> > Email: pd....@cbs.dk Priv: pda...@gmail.com
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
>
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