If you have already made numeric vectors called "a", "b", and "c" a <- 1:10 b <- sqrt(1:200) c <- log2(1:500) and a character vector "z" containing their names z <- c("a", "b", "c") then make a list containing the data with them with dataList <- lapply(z, get, envir=environment()) names(dataList) <- z and make your boxplots with boxplot(dataList)
Then forget about using the variables "a", "b", and "c" and use dataList[["a"]], dataList[["b"]], etc. instead. You may want to use a shorter name than dataList. Bill Dunlap Spotfire, TIBCO Software wdunlap tibco.com > -----Original Message----- > From: r-help-boun...@r-project.org [mailto:r-help-boun...@r-project.org] On > Behalf Of Ryan Utz > Sent: Monday, December 12, 2011 3:15 PM > To: r-help@r-project.org > Subject: Re: [R] Boxplot of multiple vectors with different lengths > > Thanks for the help, everyone. However, no solution yet... > > My vectors names are neatly stored in a character vector of their own. This > happens based on how they were imported. So, say I have vectors a, b and c, > all with numeric-only contents. Then I have another vector, say z, that > looks like this: > > z<-c("a","b","c") > > Is there really no way to tell boxplot to plot the contents of a, b and c > while only referencing z?! Why is this so difficult?? Again, this is part > of an automated process, so the number of incoming data sets, etc. will > vary, which is why I'm seeking a solution this way. > > > > On Mon, Dec 12, 2011 at 4:09 PM, Vining, Kelly <kelly.vin...@oregonstate.edu > > wrote: > > > Ryan, > > Do you necessarily have to use "list"? Have you tried the usecols=TRUE > > option in boxplot? > > > > Cheers, > > --Kelly V. > > > > -----Original Message----- > > From: r-help-boun...@r-project.org [mailto:r-help-boun...@r-project.org] > > On Behalf Of Ryan Utz > > Sent: Monday, December 12, 2011 1:24 PM > > To: r-help@r-project.org > > Subject: [R] Boxplot of multiple vectors with different lengths > > > > Hello, > > > > I'm attempting to write a code that automatically imports data from > > different files (with different lengths-just one variable) and makes tidy > > box plots for comparison. I can successfully import the data and create a > > list of the vectors I want to compare. But I cannot, for the life of me, > > figure out how to generate box plots using the "list" option. Suppose these > > are my data: > > > > a<-c(1,1,1,1,2,3,2,1,2,3) > > b<-c(2,2,2,3,4,4,4,3,3) > > c<-c(4,3,3,2,3,4,5,3,3,3,4,4,5,6,3,2) > > > > And this is my list of the vectors I'm interested in: > > > > z<-list(c("a","b","c")) > > > > Well, this successfully generates the kind of boxplot I want: > > > > boxplot(a,b,c) > > > > But this does not: > > > > boxplot(z) > > > > Because I'm trying to write an automatic plot-generator as the amount of > > data I'm working with will typically vary, I need to write this to handle > > any number of data vectors. > > > > I've tried every imaginable means of tweaking the name of "z", with zero > > success. And I've scoured the help pages for about 45 minutes (just to > > preempt any "read the help" responses). Please help! > > > > Thanks, > > Ryan > > > > -- > > > > Ryan Utz, Ph.D. > > Aquatic Ecologist/STREON Scientist > > National Ecological Observatory Network > > > > Home/Cell: (724) 272-7769 > > Work: (720) 836-2488 > > > > [[alternative HTML version deleted]] > > > > ______________________________________________ > > 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. > > > > > > -- > > Ryan Utz, Ph.D. > Aquatic Ecologist/STREON Scientist > National Ecological Observatory Network > > Home/Cell: (724) 272-7769 > Work: (720) 836-2488 > > [[alternative HTML version deleted]] > > ______________________________________________ > 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. ______________________________________________ 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.