[R] sqlFetch on MySQL-DB

[Prof Brian Ripley]

On Mon, 10 Oct 2005, Bernd Weiss wrote:

> I successfully set up a local MySQL-database. Connecting via RODBC is
> not problem, the same in fetching 3 of 4 tables. But trying to
> connect to table 4 fails.
>
>> author<-sqlFetch(test,"author")
> Error in fromchar(unclass(x)) : character string is not in a standard
> unambiguous format

Try traceback() after an error that is lacking context: it would have 
helped.

> In principle I understand that error message, but I don't know any
> solution.

You have a date or datetime or timestamp column that is not in a format R 
recognizes.  Use argument 'as.is' to bring it across as character.  See 
?sqlGetResults (referenced from ?sqlFetch).

-- 
Brian D. Ripley,                  ripley at stats.ox.ac.uk
Professor of Applied Statistics,  http://www.stats.ox.ac.uk/~ripley/
University of Oxford,             Tel:  +44 1865 272861 (self)
1 South Parks Road,                     +44 1865 272866 (PA)
Oxford OX1 3TG, UK                Fax:  +44 1865 272595