[Rd] should `data` respect default.stringsAsFactors()?

Cook, Malcolm
Fri, 19 Feb 2016 00:03:03 -0000

Hi Peter,

Sorry if I was not clear.  Perhaps an example will make my point:

> data(iris)
> class(iris$Species)
[1] "factor"
> write.table(iris,'data/myiris.tab')
> data(myiris)
> class(myiris$Species)
[1] "factor"
> rm(myiris)
> options(stringsAsFactors = FALSE)
> data(myiris)
> class(myiris$Species)
[1] "factor"
> myiris<-read.table("data/myiris.tab",header=TRUE)
> class(myiris$Species)
[1] "character"

I am surprised to find that in the above
	  setting the global option stringsAsFactors = FALSE does NOT effect how
Species is being read in by the `data` function
whereas
	setting the global option stringsAsFactors = FALSE DOES effect how Species is
being read in by read.table

especially since data is documented as calling read.table.

In my opinion, one or the other should change (the behavior of data, or the
documentation).

<bleep> <bleep>,

~ Malcolm


 > -----Original Message-----
 > From: peter dalgaard [mailto:pdalgd at gmail.com]
 > Sent: Thursday, February 18, 2016 3:32 PM
 > To: Cook, Malcolm <MEC at stowers.org>
 > Cc: r-devel at stat.math.ethz.ch
 > Subject: Re: [Rd] should `data` respect default.stringsAsFactors()?
 >
 > What the <bleep> are you on about? data() does many things, only
some of
 > which call read.table() et al., and the ones that do have no special
treatment
 > of stringsAsFactors.
 >
 > -pd
 >
 > > On 18 Feb 2016, at 21:25 , Cook, Malcolm <MEC at stowers.org>
wrote:
 > >
 > > Hiya,
 > >
 > > Probably been debated elsewhere....
 > >
 > > I note that R's `data` function does not respect
default.stringsAsFactors
 > >
 > > By my lights, it should, especially as it is documented to call
read.table,
 > which DOES respect.
 > >
 > > Oh, but:  http://r.789695.n4.nabble.com/stringsAsFactors-FALSE-
 > tp921891p921893.html
 > >
 > > Compelling.  I have to agree.
 > >
 > > So, I change my mind.
 > >
 > > By my lights, `data` should then be documented to NOT respect
 > default.stringsAsFactors.
 > >
 > > Else?
 > >
 > > ~Malcolm Cook
 > >
 > > ______________________________________________
 > > R-devel at r-project.org mailing list
 > > https://stat.ethz.ch/mailman/listinfo/r-devel
 >
 > --
 > Peter Dalgaard, Professor,
 > Center for Statistics, Copenhagen Business School
 > Solbjerg Plads 3, 2000 Frederiksberg, Denmark
 > Phone: (+45)38153501
 > Office: A 4.23
 > Email: pd.mes at cbs.dk  Priv: PDalgd at gmail.com
 >
 >
 >
 >
 >
 >
 >
 >