[R] creating a dynamic output vector

[Peter Alspach]

Steve

Is this the sort of thing you mean?

output <- character(26)
names(output) <- paste('var', LETTERS[1:26], sep='')
output
output[paste('var', LETTERS[c(2,4,6,7,16)], sep='')] <- c(1, pi,
letters[1:3])
output 

Peter Alspach

> -----Original Message-----
> From: r-help-bounces at r-project.org 
> [mailto:r-help-bounces at r-project.org] On Behalf Of Steve Powers
> Sent: Thursday, 8 November 2007 11:27 a.m.
> To: r-help at r-project.org
> Subject: [R] creating a dynamic output vector
> 
> Let's say I have a program that returns variables whose names 
> may be any string within the vector 
> NAMES=c("varA","varB","varC","varD","varE","varF"..."varZ"), 
> but I do not ever know which ones have actually been created. 
> So in one example output, "varA", "varC", and "varD" could 
> exist, but in another example output "varA", "varD", 
> "varE",and "varF" exist, with no pattern or predictability 
> (different combinations can come out, as well as different 
> numbers of variables).
> 
> How do assign the output values, in pre-arranged order, into 
> an output vector? The output vector for the first example 
> would be OUTPUTS=c(varA, NA, varC, varD...) and the output 
> vector for the second example would be OUTPUTS=c(varA, NA, 
> NA, varD, varE, varF...).  In other words, the rows for all 
> potential returned values need to be retained in the order 
> set by NAMES, and the values all need to be plugged into 
> their respective spot in that order if they exist. Otherwise 
> NA is plugged in.
> 
> One other factor is that some outputs are values, but others 
> are text. Tips?
> 
> 
> Using R version 2.4 on Windows XP
> 
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