[R] write.table equivalent for lists?

[Rainer M Krug]

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Hi

I am writing simulations in R, and quite regularly, I have to save lists
and objects to HDD and load it later again.

So I am wondering: why is there no function to write lists (and S3, S4
objects) onto HDD WITHOUT keeping the name? What I mean is:

For data.frames I can use

x <- data.frame(x = runif(10))
write.table(x, "x.txt)
rm(x)

y <- read.table("x.txt")

to load it into y.

But for lists and S3, S4 objects, I have to use save() and load():

x <- list(x=1:10, y=letters(1:10))
save(x, file="x.rdata")
rm(x)

load("x.rdata") #1
y <- x          #2
rm(x)           #3

to load it into y.
I don't mind the binary of save - what I am really missing is a command
which combines lines #1, #2 and #3.

I know - I could write my own

save.list <- function(x, file) {
  save(s, file=file)
}

load.list <- function(file) {
  load(file)
  return(x)
}

which I could then use as:

x <- list(x=1:10, y=letters(1:10))
save.list(x, "test.rdata")

rm(x)

y <- load.list("test.rdata")

but: why is there not such a function? Am I missing something here?

Cheers,

Rainer

- -- 
Rainer M. Krug, PhD (Conservation Ecology, SUN), MSc (Conservation
Biology, UCT), Dipl. Phys. (Germany)

Centre of Excellence for Invasion Biology
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