[R] Time line plot in R?

[Uwe Ligges]

Sander Oom wrote:

> Jim,
> 
> Brilliant! Thought someone might have figured it out already. Now we 
> just need a gallery to show off this graph!
> 
> One little thing: the par(mar=6,6,4,2) gives an error:


par(mar=c(6,6,4,2))

Uwe Ligges

> 'Error in par(args) : parameter "mar" has the wrong length'
> 
> Any suggestions?
> 
> Code below includes fake labels for testing.
> 
> Cheers,
> 
> Sander.
> 
> 
> # some fake data please, maestro
> fakedata<-sample(1:10,10)
> # leave a bit of extra space beneath and to the left of the plot
> par(mar=6,6,4,2)
> # this function will probably end up in the "plotrix" package
> time.line<-function(x,y,at=NULL,labels=TRUE,tlticks=NULL,...) {
>  if(missing(x) && missing (y))
>   stop("Usage: time.line(x,y,at=NULL,labels=TRUE)")
>  plotrange<-par("usr")
>  # get the graphical parameters
>  oldpar<-par(no.readonly=TRUE)
>  # turn off clipping
>  par(xpd=TRUE)
>  if(missing(x)) {
>   # it's a horizontal line
>   segments(plotrange[1],y,plotrange[2],y,...)
>   ticklen<-(plotrange[4]-plotrange[3])*0.02
>   if(!is.null(tlticks))
>    segments(tlticks,y+ticklen,tlticks,y-ticklen,...)
>   mwidth<-strwidth("M")
>   # blank out the line where labels will appear
>   rect(at-mwidth,y-ticklen,at+mwidth,y+ticklen,col="white",border=FALSE)
>  # rotate the text
>   par(srt=270)
>   # draw the labels
>   text(at,y,labels,...)
>  }
>  if(missing(y)) {
>   # it's a vertical line
>   # draw the line
>   segments(x,plotrange[3],x,plotrange[4],...)
>   ticklen<-(plotrange[2]-plotrange[1])*0.02
>   if(!is.null(tlticks))
>    segments(x+ticklen,tlticks,x-ticklen,tlticks,...)
>   mheight<-strheight("M")
>   # blank out the line where labels will appear
>   rect(x-ticklen,at-mheight,x+ticklen,at+mheight,col="white",border=FALSE)
>   # draw the labels
>   text(x,at,labels,...)
>  }
>  # restore the parameters
>  par(oldpar)
> }
> 
> # some fake labels
> eventT<-c(2.5, 4, 7, 8.5)
> eventD<-c("first event","second event","third event","fourth event")
> tl.labels<-data.frame(eventT,eventD)
> 
> plot(fakedata,xlab="")
> # display a horizontal time line
> time.line(x=-1,at=tl.labels[[1]],labels=tl.labels[[2]],col="black")
> # now a vertical one
> time.line(y=-1,at=tl.labels[[1]],labels=tl.labels[[2]],col="black")
> 
> 
>  > version
>          _
> platform i386-pc-mingw32
> arch     i386
> os       mingw32
> system   i386, mingw32
> status
> major    2
> minor    0.1
> year     2004
> month    11
> day      15
> language R
>  >
> 
> Jim Lemon wrote:
> 
>> Sander Oom wrote:
>>
>>> Dear R users,
>>>
>>> In order to illustrate the possible effects of events on variables
>>> plotted against time, I would like plot a time line of events along side
>>> the plot of the variables.
>>>
>>> The x-axis should be some time unit; the y-axis should be the variable
>>> of interest; the time line should be plotted below the graph along the
>>> same x-axis scale.
>>>
>>> As I have many variables and different events lists, I would like to
>>> write a script to read the events from a file and plot them together
>>> with the other plot.
>>>
>>> The time line should look something like this:
>>> http://www.oslis.k12.or.us/secondary/howto/organize/images/timeline.gif
>>>
>>
>> Here's one way:
>>
>> # some fake data please, maestro
>> fakedata<-sample(1:10,10)
>> # leave a bit of extra space beneath and to the left of the plot
>> par(mar=6,6,4,2)
>> # this function will probably end up in the "plotrix" package
>> time.line<-function(x,y,at=NULL,labels=TRUE,tlticks=NULL,...) {
>>  if(missing(x) && missing (y))
>>   stop("Usage: time.line(x,y,at=NULL,labels=TRUE)")
>>  plotrange<-par("usr")
>>  # get the graphical parameters
>>  oldpar<-par(no.readonly=TRUE)
>>  # turn off clipping
>>  par(xpd=TRUE)
>>  if(missing(x)) {
>>   # it's a horizontal line
>>   segments(plotrange[1],y,plotrange[2],y,...)
>>   ticklen<-(plotrange[4]-plotrange[3])*0.02
>>   if(!is.null(tlticks))
>>    segments(tlticks,y+ticklen,tlticks,y-ticklen,...)
>>   mwidth<-strwidth("M")
>>   # blank out the line where labels will appear
>>   rect(at-mwidth,y-ticklen,at+mwidth,y+ticklen,col="white",border=FALSE)
>>  # rotate the text
>>   par(srt=90)
>>   # draw the labels
>>   text(at,y,labels,...)
>>  }
>>  if(missing(y)) {
>>   # it's a vertical line
>>   # draw the line
>>   segments(x,plotrange[3],x,plotrange[4],...)
>>   ticklen<-(plotrange[2]-plotrange[1])*0.02
>>   if(!is.null(tlticks))
>>    segments(x+ticklen,tlticks,x-ticklen,tlticks,...)
>>   mheight<-strheight("M")
>>   # blank out the line where labels will appear
>>   
>> rect(x-ticklen,at-mheight,x+ticklen,at+mheight,col="white",border=FALSE)
>>   # draw the labels
>>   text(x,at,labels,...)
>>  }
>>  # restore the parameters
>>  par(oldpar)
>> }
>> # create a file with the positions and labels you want like this:
>> # 2.5,first
>> # 4,second
>> # 7,third
>> # 8.5,fourth
>> # call it "labels.txt" and read it in
>> tl.labels<-read.table("labels.txt",sep=",")
>> plot(fakedata,xlab="")
>> # display a horizontal time line
>> time.line(x=-1,at=tl.labels[[1]],labels=tl.labels[[2]],col="black")
>> # now a vertical one
>> time.line(y=-1,at=tl.labels[[1]],labels=tl.labels[[2]],col="black")
>>
>> ______________________________________________
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>> http://www.R-project.org/posting-guide.html
>>
>>
> 
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