[R] structure vs. matrix

Gabor Grothendieck ggrothendieck at gmail.com
Mon Nov 5 02:50:58 CET 2007


In general, you want to use as high level a construct as possible
since then the details implementing the construct can be modified
and improved without your code changing.  This is really just an
aspect of modularity.  Thus matrix would be preferred.

Actually since R allows access to the lower level details this type of
benefit is not really guaranteed but as a matter of principle I
would use other constructs than structure whenever possible.

On Nov 4, 2007 8:32 PM, Edna Bell <edna.bell01 at gmail.com> wrote:
> I was reading "S Programming" and a set of the code used structure to
> set up a matrix.
>
> I just wondered which was better and why.
>
>
>
>
> On 11/4/07, Mark Difford <mark_difford at yahoo.co.uk> wrote:
> >
> > Hi Edna,
> >
> > >> When creating a matrix, is it better to use the structure function or the
> > >> matrix function...?
> >
> > I hope you have a huge (empty) jar in the kitchen, and that your pantry is
> > empty.
> >
> > R isn't too difficult, except if you're trying to do stats (and don't know
> > what you are doing --- though I am not suggesting that you don't know how to
> > do stats;).
> >
> > ## see
> > ?structure
> > ?matrix
> >
> > A structure is not a matrix.  So, if you want to make a matrix, use
> > matrix().  Easy.
> >
> > HTH,
> > Mark.
> >
> >
> > Edna Bell wrote:
> > >
> > > Hi R Gurus!
> > >
> > > When creating a matrix, is it better to use the structure function or
> > > the matrix function, please?
> > >
> > > Thanks,
> > > Edna Bell
> > >
> > > ______________________________________________
> > > R-help at r-project.org mailing list
> > > https://stat.ethz.ch/mailman/listinfo/r-help
> > > PLEASE do read the posting guide
> > > http://www.R-project.org/posting-guide.html
> > > and provide commented, minimal, self-contained, reproducible code.
> > >
> > >
> >
> > --
> > View this message in context: http://www.nabble.com/structure-vs.-matrix-tf4745521.html#a13572508
> > Sent from the R help mailing list archive at Nabble.com.
> >
> > ______________________________________________
> > R-help at r-project.org mailing list
> > https://stat.ethz.ch/mailman/listinfo/r-help
> > PLEASE do read the posting guide http://www.R-project.org/posting-guide.html
> > and provide commented, minimal, self-contained, reproducible code.
> >
>
> ______________________________________________
> R-help at r-project.org mailing list
> https://stat.ethz.ch/mailman/listinfo/r-help
> PLEASE do read the posting guide http://www.R-project.org/posting-guide.html
> and provide commented, minimal, self-contained, reproducible code.
>



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