R devel - Nov 2005 - # symbol in input data (PR#8296)

Full_Name: Richard L Lozes
Version: 2.1.1
OS: Win XP
Submission from: (NULL) (69.107.18.35)


"#" appearing in a quoted string in input causes further input of that
line to
be ignored.
Can be cured by escaping (i.e., "\#"), but in big data sets it is
onerous to
find.

# should not be "special" inside a quoted string.

Here is a small input file. Read it with read.csv().

Title1, Title2, cHdr1, cHdr2, cHdr3
"xyz","abc",1.0,2.0,3.0
"xyy","ab#c",4.0,5.0,6.0
"zyx","abc",7.0,8.0,9.0

scanrikpr at sbcglobal.net writes:
> Full_Name: Richard L Lozes
> Version: 2.1.1
> OS: Win XP
> Submission from: (NULL) (69.107.18.35)
> 
> 
> "#" appearing in a quoted string in input causes further input of
that line to
> be ignored.
> Can be cured by escaping (i.e., "\#"), but in big data sets it is
onerous to
> find.
> 
> # should not be "special" inside a quoted string.
> 
> Here is a small input file. Read it with read.csv().
> 
> Title1, Title2, cHdr1, cHdr2, cHdr3
> "xyz","abc",1.0,2.0,3.0
> "xyy","ab#c",4.0,5.0,6.0
> "zyx","abc",7.0,8.0,9.0
...and what do you think the comment.char argument is for?

This is no bug.
 
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> https://stat.ethz.ch/mailman/listinfo/r-devel
> 
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   O__  ---- Peter Dalgaard             ?ster Farimagsgade 5, Entr.B
  c/ /'_ --- Dept. of Biostatistics     PO Box 2099, 1014 Cph. K
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