In absence of workable code, I assume you are trying to find the mean of column by referring to its name (which is read from another file). try...v<-mean(Dataset[, paste(varlist[i])]) Kulwinder
> From: dwinsem...@comcast.net > To: jw...@klaru-baycrest.on.ca > Date: Wed, 24 Feb 2010 20:56:26 -0500 > CC: r-help@r-project.org > Subject: Re: [R] variable substitution in for loops > > > On Feb 24, 2010, at 8:18 PM, Jon Erik Ween wrote: > > > Friends > > > > I can't quite find a direct answer to this question from the lists, > > so here goes: > > > > I have several dataframes, 200+ columns 2000+ rows. I wish to script > > some operations to perform on some of the variables (columns) in the > > data frames not knowing what the column number is, hence have to > > refer by name. I have variable names in a text file "varlist". So, > > something like this: > > > > for (i in 1:length(varlist)){ > > j<-varlist[i] > > v<-mean(Dataset[[j]]) > > print(v) > > } > > Without a data example this is untested guesswork and may fail if > varlist is not a vector or something that can be coerced to a vector. > Might help to look at str(varlist), ... anyway ... > > > for (i in varlist){ > > v<-mean(Dataset[ , i]) > print(v) > } > > > If it doesn't work, then pay close attention to the error messages. > -- > David > > > > > > Now, if I force it > > > > j<-"Var1" > > v<-mean(Dataset[[j]]) > > print(v) > > > > then it works, but not if i read the varlist as above. > > > > Looking at "j" I get: > > > >> print(j) > > V1 > > 1 Var1 > > Right. You are supplying a list as an index. > > > > > Hence there is a lot of other stuff read into "j" that confuses > > "mean". > > I think it is confusing "[[", but it's really more guesswork because > you did not supply a reproducible example. > > > I can't figure out how to just get the value of the variable and > > nothing else. I've tried space separated, comma separated, tab > > separated lists and all give the same error. I've tried get(), > > parse()... no go. > > > > Any suggestions? > > > > Thanks a lot > > > > Jon > > > > Soli Deo Gloria > > > > Jon Erik Ween, MD, MS > > Scientist, Kunin-Lunenfeld Applied Research Unit > > Director, Stroke Clinic, Brain Health Clinic, Baycrest Centre > > Assistant Professor, Dept. of Medicine, Div. of Neurology > > University of Toronto Faculty of Medicine > > > > Kimel Family Building, 6th Floor, Room 644 > > Baycrest Centre > > 3560 Bathurst Street > > Toronto, Ontario M6A 2E1 > > Canada > > > > Phone: 416-785-2500 x3648 > > Fax: 416-785-2484 > > Email: jw...@klaru-baycrest.on.ca > > > > > > Confidential: This communication and any attachment(s) may contain > > confidential or privileged information and is intended solely for > > the address(es) or the entity representing the recipient(s). If you > > have received this information in error, you are hereby advised to > > destroy the document and any attachment(s), make no copies of same > > and inform the sender immediately of the error. Any unauthorized use > > or disclosure of this information is strictly prohibited. > > > > > > > > > > [[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. > > David Winsemius, MD > Heritage Laboratories > West Hartford, CT > > ______________________________________________ > 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. _________________________________________________________________ Hotmail: Powerful Free email with security by Microsoft. [[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.