R help - Apr 2004 - Variable Descriptors

Is there a way to associate text descriptions with variables in a
data.frame?

 

For example...

 

Let's say that in my data.frame I have a variable named var1.  var1
represents the responses to the question "When was the last time you saw
your physician?"  When I tabulate the variable var1 I'd like the output
to
be a bit more descriptive and contain the more descriptive question (i.e.,
"When was...) rather than just var1.

 

What I'm looking for is something analogous to the label statement in SAS.

 

Thanks for your help.

 

Marc

 

Marc W. Zodet, MS

Health Statistician

 

Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality

Center for Financing, Access, and Cost Trends

Division of Statistical Research and Methods

540 Gaither Road, Room 5058

Rockville, Maryland 20850

 

Phone:  301-427-1563

FAX:    301-427-1276

E-mail:  <mailto:mzodet@ahrq.gov> mzodet@ahrq.gov

 


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On Wed, 14 Apr 2004 15:50:51 -0400
"Zodet, Marc" <MZodet at ahrq.gov> wrote:
> Is there a way to associate text descriptions with variables in a
> data.frame?
> 
>  
> 
> For example...
> 
>  
> 
> Let's say that in my data.frame I have a variable named var1.  var1
> represents the responses to the question "When was the last time you
saw
> your physician?"  When I tabulate the variable var1 I'd like the
output
> to be a bit more descriptive and contain the more descriptive question
> (i.e.,"When was...) rather than just var1.
> 
>  
> 
> What I'm looking for is something analogous to the label statement in
> SAS.
The Hmisc package provides this, and many of its graphics and table-making
functions use the labels.

Frank
> 
>  
> 
> Thanks for your help.
> 
>  
> 
> Marc
> 
>  
> 
> Marc W. Zodet, MS
> 
> Health Statistician
> 
>  
> 
> Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality
> 
> Center for Financing, Access, and Cost Trends
> 
> Division of Statistical Research and Methods
> 
> 540 Gaither Road, Room 5058
> 
> Rockville, Maryland 20850
> 
>  
> 
> Phone:  301-427-1563
> 
> FAX:    301-427-1276
> 
> E-mail:  <mailto:mzodet at ahrq.gov> mzodet at ahrq.gov
> 
>  
> 
> 
> 	[[alternative HTML version deleted]]
> 
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---
Frank E Harrell Jr   Professor and Chair           School of Medicine
                     Department of Biostatistics   Vanderbilt University