[R] R's list data structure

[Bert Gunter]

FWIW:

Lists are a fundamental, universal, recursive data structure. All
other data structures (i.e. r.e. sets) can be represented as lists.
Indeed, one of the earliest "high level" (non-machine instructions)
computer languages, McCarthy's LISP = List Processing, is based on
lists. R was designed to be LISP-like (= a functional programming
language) in some fundamentals ways. So it is no surprise that lists
are widely used within R.

Cheers,
Bert

On Fri, Feb 17, 2012 at 12:37 PM, Ajay Askoolum <aa2e72e at yahoo.co.uk> wrote:
> Hi Sarah,
>
>             Thanks you for the clarifications; I had worked round the problem by switching to a data.frame.
>
>             However, I am still unclear about 'list': as it exists, it must have a purpose. When is the use of the list data structure appropriate?
>
>        [[alternative HTML version deleted]]
>
>
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-- 

Bert Gunter
Genentech Nonclinical Biostatistics

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