On May 18, 2011, at 11:18 AM, armstrwa wrote:

Hi all,

This is a very basic question, but I just can't figure out why R is handling
a loop I'm writing the way it is.

Here is the script I have written:

grid_2_series<-function(gage_handle,data_type,filename)

series_name<-paste(gage_handle,data_type,sep="_")
data_grid<-read.table(file=paste(filename,".txt",sep=""))

num_rows_data<-nrow(data_grid)-1
num_cols_data<-ncol(data_grid)-4
num_obs<-num_rows_data*num_cols_data

time_series<-matrix(nrow=0,ncol=2)

for(i in 1:length(num_obs)){
        rownum<-ceiling(i/31)+1
        colnum<-if(i%%31==0){
                        35
                }else{
                        (i%%31)+4
                }
        year<-data_grid[rownum,2]
        month<-data_grid[rownum,3]
        day<-colnum-4
        date_string<-paste(month,day,year,sep="/")
        date<-as.Date(date_string,format='%m/%d/%Y')
        value<-as.character(data_grid[rownum,colnum])
        time_series<-rbind(time_series,c(date,value))
}

The script is working as I intended it to (goes through a matrix of data where column 2 is the year, column 3 is the month, and row 1 columns 5-35 are the day of the month the observation was recorded [I have included a screenshot below to help visualize what I'm talking about] and converts the grid into a 2 column time series where column 1 is the date and column 2 is the value of the observation), but it is stopping after only 1 iteration.

The jpg file will not be seen by most readers of this list.


nabble_img src="matrix_screenshot.jpg" border="0"/>

Two questions:

1.) Does anyone know of an existing function to accomplish this task?

Since you have only define the task in terms of a loop this is not working properly and a picture that is not attached and included no test data, I have only a vague understanding of the task. Perhaps you want stack or melt from the reshape2 package. You might consider explaining more completely what you want in natural language. (And reading the Posting Guide with attention to acceptable attachment formats.)

2.) Why is the loop stopping after 1 iteration?  I have it written to
iterate up to the total number of observations (20,615 in one case).

Most likely is your misunderstanding of how length is being interpreted for a vector. You probably want 1:nobs rather than 1:length(nobs) .... since length(nobs) most probably 1 in this case.

Thank you for your help and sorry for this question which I'm sure has a
very simple answer.


David Winsemius, MD
Heritage Laboratories
West Hartford, CT

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