R help - Jul 2009 - Show representation of a data structure

I'm currently working with some large complex data structures eg list of
lists of data_frames containing lots more variables and lists etc.
Sometimes, I'd like to be able to bring up a simple representation of the
structure I'm working with, minus all of the values it contains (so simply
printing the variable doesn't work as its too hard to see structure when
there are 1000s of values being printed).  I know there is a function in R
that allows you to do something like this but I cannot remember what it is
and my searching has turned up nothing. Does anyone know the function I'm
talking about or have any other useful suggestions as to what I can do?
  
   Thanks
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bwgoudey schreef:
>   I'm currently working with some large complex data structures eg list
of
> lists of data_frames containing lots more variables and lists etc.
> Sometimes, I'd like to be able to bring up a simple representation of
the
> structure I'm working with, minus all of the values it contains (so
simply
> printing the variable doesn't work as its too hard to see structure
when
> there are 1000s of values being printed).  I know there is a function in R
> that allows you to do something like this but I cannot remember what it is
> and my searching has turned up nothing. Does anyone know the function
I'm
> talking about or have any other useful suggestions as to what I can do?
>   
>    Thanks
>   
Hi,

Try summary() or str() on the object.

cheers,
Paul

You are probably thinking of the "str" function.  But also look at the
"TkListView" function in the TeachingDemos package for visualizing
lists of lists and complex objects.

Hope this helps,

-- 
Gregory (Greg) L. Snow Ph.D.
Statistical Data Center
Intermountain Healthcare
greg.snow at imail.org
801.408.8111
> -----Original Message-----
> From: r-help-bounces at r-project.org [mailto:r-help-bounces at r-
> project.org] On Behalf Of bwgoudey
> Sent: Monday, July 20, 2009 11:14 PM
> To: r-help at r-project.org
> Subject: [R] Show representation of a data structure
> 
> 
>   I'm currently working with some large complex data structures eg list
> of
> lists of data_frames containing lots more variables and lists etc.
> Sometimes, I'd like to be able to bring up a simple representation of
> the
> structure I'm working with, minus all of the values it contains (so
> simply
> printing the variable doesn't work as its too hard to see structure
> when
> there are 1000s of values being printed).  I know there is a function
> in R
> that allows you to do something like this but I cannot remember what it
> is
> and my searching has turned up nothing. Does anyone know the function
> I'm
> talking about or have any other useful suggestions as to what I can do?
> 
>    Thanks
> --
> View this message in context: http://www.nabble.com/Show-
> representation-of-a-data-structure-tp24581814p24581814.html
> Sent from the R help mailing list archive at Nabble.com.
> 
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