Helpers, I am a pretty savvy computer user (over 40 years) but am having trouble with the most basic process in using the R program. I am taking a course to learn the statistics utility of ?R? but can?t seem to get past the opening where it shows the student how to input data into R. It suggests identifying as the a target folder in the Properties of the R x64 3.2.3 icon (I use a 64-bit Windows 7 OS) the location where data files are found. I entered: As the Target: "C:\Program Files\R\R-3.2.3\bin\x64\Rgui.exe" ... which contains Rgui.exe and the supporting dlls etc. As the Start in: "C:\Program Files\R\R-3.2.3\Appendix" ... where Appendix is a folder which contains data files such as the text file DATA1.txt which I created from an Excel file. When I try and get R to input the data, I get the following sequence of messages:> X=scan("DATA1.txt")Error in file(file, "r") : cannot open the connection In addition: Warning message: In file(file, "r") : cannot open file 'DATA1.txt': No such file or directory When I try again but use the complete file description, I get: X=scan("C:\Program Files\R\R-3.2.3\Appendix\DATA1.txt") Error: '\P' is an unrecognized escape in character string starting ""C:\P" I hate to ask a question not related to R or its features (that may come later), but, clearly, the first baby step is to be able to load data into the application . . . and, I am really frustrated with my inability to do so. I apologize for this but really need to get past this business to jump into the REAL use of R. Can you help? Walt Walter R. Niessen (978) 470-4622 P.S. I apologize, but I sent the first ?edition? a few minutes ago without a Subject and not quite finished up. [[alternative HTML version deleted]]
Hi Walter,
I'm not sure changing the shortcut properties are the best approach.
Instead, after you start R, you can use the
getwd()
command to see where R will start looking for things, and the
setwd()
command to change that (wd is working directory).
Because of the way R parses strings, you either need to use double
backslashes or single forward slashes if you want to specify a full
path:
X <- scan("C:\\Program Files\\R\\R-3.2.3\\Appendix\\DATA1.txt")
X <- scan("C:/Program Files/R/R-3.2.3/Appendix/DATA1.txt")
will both work.
Here's a basic overview of the relevant material:
http://www.dummies.com/how-to/content/how-to-work-with-files-and-folders-in-r.html
It's perhaps not the most logical place to look, but it's also in the
R Windows FAQ as number 2.16:
https://cran.r-project.org/bin/windows/base/rw-FAQ.html
Sarah
On Sun, Feb 7, 2016 at 3:23 PM, Walter Niessen <niessen at att.net>
wrote:> Helpers,
>
> I am a pretty savvy computer user (over 40 years) but am having trouble
with the most basic process in using the R program. I am taking a course to
learn the statistics utility of ?R? but can?t seem to get past the opening where
it shows the student how to input data into R.
>
> It suggests identifying as the a target folder in the Properties of the R
x64 3.2.3 icon (I use a 64-bit Windows 7 OS) the location where data files are
found. I entered:
>
> As the Target: "C:\Program Files\R\R-3.2.3\bin\x64\Rgui.exe"
... which contains Rgui.exe and the supporting dlls etc.
>
> As the Start in: "C:\Program Files\R\R-3.2.3\Appendix" ... where
Appendix is a folder which contains data files such as the text file DATA1.txt
which I created from an Excel file.
>
> When I try and get R to input the data, I get the following sequence of
messages:
>
>
>> X=scan("DATA1.txt")
> Error in file(file, "r") : cannot open the connection
> In addition: Warning message:
> In file(file, "r") :
> cannot open file 'DATA1.txt': No such file or directory
>
> When I try again but use the complete file description, I get:
>
> X=scan("C:\Program Files\R\R-3.2.3\Appendix\DATA1.txt")
> Error: '\P' is an unrecognized escape in character string starting
""C:\P"
>
> I hate to ask a question not related to R or its features (that may come
later), but, clearly, the first baby step is to be able to load data into the
application . . . and, I am really frustrated with my inability to do so. I
apologize for this but really need to get past this business to jump into the
REAL use of R.
>
> Can you help?
>
> Walt
>
> Walter R. Niessen
> (978) 470-4622
>
> P.S. I apologize, but I sent the first ?edition? a few minutes ago without
a Subject and not quite finished up.
>
>
--
Sarah Goslee
http://www.numberwright.com
Hi,
Using the full path specification, as you have done in your second example, is a
good idea. Have you tried forward slashes? If I am reading the docs correctly
you should be able to use either forward or back slashes. I haven't used R
in Windows for ages, but my memory is that switching to forward slashes skirted
any troublesome issues. Try this...
filename <- "C:/Program Files/R/R-3.2.3/Appendix/DATA1.txt"
if (file.exists(filename)){
X <- scan(file = filename, what = double())
} else {
cat('file not found\n')
}
Here's the doc page...
https://cran.r-project.org/doc/manuals/r-release/R-intro.html#OS-facilities
Ben
> On Feb 7, 2016, at 3:23 PM, Walter Niessen <niessen at att.net>
wrote:
>
> Helpers,
>
> I am a pretty savvy computer user (over 40 years) but am having trouble
with the most basic process in using the R program. I am taking a course to
learn the statistics utility of ?R? but can?t seem to get past the opening where
it shows the student how to input data into R.
>
> It suggests identifying as the a target folder in the Properties of the R
x64 3.2.3 icon (I use a 64-bit Windows 7 OS) the location where data files are
found. I entered:
>
> As the Target: "C:\Program Files\R\R-3.2.3\bin\x64\Rgui.exe"
... which contains Rgui.exe and the supporting dlls etc.
>
> As the Start in: "C:\Program Files\R\R-3.2.3\Appendix" ... where
Appendix is a folder which contains data files such as the text file DATA1.txt
which I created from an Excel file.
>
> When I try and get R to input the data, I get the following sequence of
messages:
>
>
>> X=scan("DATA1.txt")
> Error in file(file, "r") : cannot open the connection
> In addition: Warning message:
> In file(file, "r") :
> cannot open file 'DATA1.txt': No such file or directory
>
> When I try again but use the complete file description, I get:
>
> X=scan("C:\Program Files\R\R-3.2.3\Appendix\DATA1.txt")
> Error: '\P' is an unrecognized escape in character string starting
""C:\P"
>
> I hate to ask a question not related to R or its features (that may come
later), but, clearly, the first baby step is to be able to load data into the
application . . . and, I am really frustrated with my inability to do so. I
apologize for this but really need to get past this business to jump into the
REAL use of R.
>
> Can you help?
>
> Walt
>
> Walter R. Niessen
> (978) 470-4622
>
> P.S. I apologize, but I sent the first ?edition? a few minutes ago without
a Subject and not quite finished up.
>
>
>
> [[alternative HTML version deleted]]
>
> ______________________________________________
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Ben Tupper
Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Sciences
60 Bigelow Drive, P.O. Box 380
East Boothbay, Maine 04544
http://www.bigelow.org