R help - Jul 2013 - replace multiple values in vector at once

I'm trying to find a function that can replace multiple instances of values
or characters in a vector in a one step operation.  As an example, the
vector:

x <- c(rep('x',3),rep('y',3),rep('z',3))
> x
[1] "x" "x" "x" "y" "y"
"y" "z" "z" "z"

I would simply like to replace all of the x's with 1's, y:2 & z:3
(or other
characters).
i.e:
> x
[1] "1" "1" "1" "2" "2"
"2" "3" "3" "3"

Of course, I'm aware of the replace function but this obviously gets a
little unwieldy when there are :
x<-replace(x,x=='x',1)
x<-replace(x,y=='x',2)
x<-replace(x,z=='x',3)

but I can't figure out how to do it in a one stop operation.  My real needs
is more complex obviously.  This is one of those seemingly simple
r-operations that should be obvious but I'm coming up empty on this one.

Thanks for the help.
Trevor

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I always think that replying to your own r-help feels silly but it's good
to close these things out.

here's my hack solution:

x1<-merge(data.frame(A=x),data.frame(A=c('x','y','z'),B=c(1,2,2)),by='A')[,2]

Well that works and should for my more complex situation.  If anyone has
something a little less heavy handed I'd live to hear it.

Have a great weekend.


On Fri, Jul 12, 2013 at 2:18 PM, Trevor Davies
<davies.trevor@gmail.com>wrote:
>
> I'm trying to find a function that can replace multiple instances of
> values or characters in a vector in a one step operation.  As an example,
> the vector:
>
> x <- c(rep('x',3),rep('y',3),rep('z',3))
>
> > x
> [1] "x" "x" "x" "y" "y"
"y" "z" "z" "z"
>
> I would simply like to replace all of the x's with 1's, y:2 &
z:3 (or
> other characters).
> i.e:
> > x
> [1] "1" "1" "1" "2" "2"
"2" "3" "3" "3"
>
> Of course, I'm aware of the replace function but this obviously gets a
> little unwieldy when there are :
> x<-replace(x,x=='x',1)
> x<-replace(x,y=='x',2)
> x<-replace(x,z=='x',3)
>
> but I can't figure out how to do it in a one stop operation.  My real
> needs is more complex obviously.  This is one of those seemingly simple
> r-operations that should be obvious but I'm coming up empty on this
one.
>
> Thanks for the help.
> Trevor
>
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