This is what I'd try:
col2and4 <- matrix(scan(pipe("cut -d\| -f2,4 cmie_firm_data.text
|"),
skip=2), ncol=2, byrow=TRUE)
Andy
> From: Liaw, Andy
>
> Could it be that you happen you have `#' in `col4'? Try
> either (or both):
>
> 1. read.table(..., comment.char="")
> 2. scan(...)
>
> HTH,
> Andy
>
> > From: Ajay Shah
> >
> > In order to get around the problems of my posting a few
> minutes ago, I
> > thought:
> >
> > $ awk -F\| '(NR > 2) {print $2}' cmie_firm_data.text >
col2
> > $ awk -F\| '(NR > 2) {print $4}' cmie_firm_data.text >
col4
> > $ paste col2 col4 | head -2
> > -510.45 -510.27
> > 60700 101900
> > $ paste col2 col4 | tail -2
> > 28648.12 31617.02
> > 491014.77 494308.52
> > $ wc -l col2 col4
> > 89323 col2
> > 89323 col4
> > 178646 total
> >
> > So all is well.
> >
> > But R doesn't like it:
> >
> > $ R --vanilla < picture.R
> >
> > R : Copyright 2004, The R Foundation for Statistical Computing
> > Version 1.9.1 (2004-06-21), ISBN 3-900051-00-3
> >
> > > col2 <- read.table(file="col2")
> > > col4 <- read.table(file="col4")
> > > print(nrow(col2))
> > [1] 89323
> > > print(nrow(col4))
> > [1] 88746
> >
> > Why might I be getting 89,323 and 88,746 obs for two files
> which `wc'
> > believes are each 89,323 lines long?
> >
> > I checked, and there is no single quote or C-m in either file.
> >
> > --
> > Ajay Shah
> Consultant
> > ajayshah at mayin.org Department of
> Economic Affairs
> > http://www.mayin.org/ajayshah Ministry of
> Finance, New Delhi
> >
>
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