Try this: dates <- read.csv("c:\\dates.csv",header=T) dates[,1] <- as.Date(dates[,1], "%d/%m/%Y") dates[,2] <- as.Date(dates[,2], "%d/%m/%Y") transform(dates, Dif=V2-V1)
On 14/12/2007, Bob Green <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > Hello, > > I gather variants of this question have been asked previously. I have > done some reading but only became more confused, as I suspect what I > am trying to do is more basic than other applications. > > The following code readily calculates the difference in days between two > dates: > > newdays <- ISOdate(2005, 5,12) - ISOdate(2006, 12, 22) > > However, I wanted to be able to deduct the dates in one variable from > the dates in another variable, resulting in a new variable - e.g the > difference in days between the two dates. Below is a sample of my > data. My questions: > > 1. I tried changing the data to dates via as.Date. Is this necessary > or do I need to alter the date format itself, e.g to 12/12/78 or some > other format? > 2. I gather there are various packages as well as date formats.What > is the most straight forward approach to calculate the difference > between two dates, as below. > > > > dates <- read.csv("c:\\dates.csv",header=T) > > dates > v1 v2 > 1 12/12/1978 12/12/2005 > 2 23/01/1965 23/09/2001 > 3 24/12/2004 16/03/2007 > 4 3/03/2003 4/04/2004 > 5 8/11/2006 1/05/2007 > > > class(dates$v1) > [1] "factor" > > class(dates$v2) > [1] "factor" > > > dates <- read.csv("c:\\dates.csv",header=T, > as.Date(as.character(dates) "%d/%m/%Y")) > Error: syntax error, unexpected STR_CONST, expecting ',' in "dates <- > read.csv("c:\\dates.csv",header=T, as.Date(as.character(dates) "%d/%m/%Y"" > > > > Any assistance is much appreciated, > > Bob > > ______________________________________________ > R-help@r-project.org mailing list > https://stat.ethz.ch/mailman/listinfo/r-help > PLEASE do read the posting guide http://www.R-project.org/posting-guide.html > and provide commented, minimal, self-contained, reproducible code. > -- Henrique Dallazuanna Curitiba-Paraná-Brasil 25° 25' 40" S 49° 16' 22" O ______________________________________________ R-help@r-project.org mailing list https://stat.ethz.ch/mailman/listinfo/r-help PLEASE do read the posting guide http://www.R-project.org/posting-guide.html and provide commented, minimal, self-contained, reproducible code.