Matti - Since you are asking about looping through a column, not looping across columns, it is simply the following:
# Note: data.frame() turns strings into factors by default. myDF <- data.frame(type = c("a", "j", "a", "a", "j"), weight = c(12.3, 6.8, 10.5, NA, "5.5")) myDF$type # ... is a vector of factors for(type in myDF$type) { print(type) } # or (less explicit in the code and will break if the order of columns # ever changes): for(type in myDF[ , 1]) { print(type) } # In a matrix, all elemnts have to be of the same type. Let's make a # matrix of characters: myMat <- matrix(cbind(as.character(myDF$type), c("red", "green", "red", "red", "green")), ncol = 2) for(type in myMat[ , 1]) { print(type) } As others have remarked, for added efficiency with large datasets we often use functions from the apply() family, rather than for-loops. I hope this helps, Boris PS: don't call your data frames "df" since df() is a function and this may make your code hard to read. > On Nov 6, 2017, at 2:49 PM, Rui Barradas <ruipbarra...@sapo.pt> wrote: > > Hello, > > If you want to loop through the columns of a data.frame you can do > > for(i in names(df)){ > [code] > } > > Another way would be > > lapply(names(df), function(somecol) class(df[[somecol]])) > > where class(df[[somecol]]) is just an example, you would use whatever fits > your needs. > > When you say that the column in question holds "levels" do you mean it's a > factor? (factors are R's categorical variables.) > > Hope this helps, > > Rui Barradas > > > Em 06-11-2017 19:26, Matti Viljamaa escreveu: >> It’s sometimes faster to ask from someone who has already learnt the syntax. >> In this case one has to do e.g. >> >> names(data$somecol) >> >> To get the collection and then iteration through it is almost like in Python: >> >> for(i in names(data$somecol)) { >> # do something >> } >> >>> Bert Gunter <bgunter.4...@gmail.com> kirjoitti 6.11.2017 kello 19.55: >>> >>> Time to go through a tutorial or two! -- This forum cannot replace such >>> self study. >>> >>> Your query evidences some basic confusion, but ?tapply or the equivalent >>> lapply(split(...)) construct are most likely relevant. >>> >>> Cheers, >>> Bert >>> >>> >>> >>> Bert Gunter >>> >>> "The trouble with having an open mind is that people keep coming along and >>> sticking things into it." >>> -- Opus (aka Berkeley Breathed in his "Bloom County" comic strip ) >>> >>> On Mon, Nov 6, 2017 at 9:40 AM, mviljamaa <mvilja...@kapsi.fi >>> <mailto:mvilja...@kapsi.fi>> wrote: >>> How can I do a for loop that does to a data.frame column what: >>> >>> for x in xs: >>> >>> does in Python? >>> >>> Obviously the data.frame column in question holds "levels". What if the >>> data.frame is in matrix form? >>> >>> BR, Matti >>> >>> ______________________________________________ >>> R-help@r-project.org <mailto:R-help@r-project.org> mailing list -- To >>> UNSUBSCRIBE and more, see >>> https://stat.ethz.ch/mailman/listinfo/r-help >>> <https://stat.ethz.ch/mailman/listinfo/r-help> >>> PLEASE do read the posting guide >>> http://www.R-project.org/posting-guide.html >>> <http://www.r-project.org/posting-guide.html> >>> and provide commented, minimal, self-contained, reproducible code. >>> >> >> >> [[alternative HTML version deleted]] >> >> ______________________________________________ >> R-help@r-project.org mailing list -- To UNSUBSCRIBE and more, see >> 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 -- To UNSUBSCRIBE and more, see > 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 -- To UNSUBSCRIBE and more, see 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.