[R] weird "vector size cannot be NA/NaN" problem

[Petr PIKAL]

Hi

I tried but

> describe(c(5,3,76,4/0))
Error: could not find function "describe"
>

What shall I do? Quick search did not find function on CRAN and I do not 
have enough time to dig it from somewhere.

Regards
Petr


r-help-bounces at r-project.org napsal dne 21.09.2009 12:06:09:

> Hi,
> 
> I have to follow up my own question since this problem is getting quite 
> disturbing and I fear that it also causes other functions to malfunction 

> without notice. 
> 
> It occurs quite quite often when I manipulate the mentioned data set. It 

> definitely is caused by the column entries which are Inf (caused by a 
value/0 
> operation) but I cannot reproduce the error. When I do a 
describe(c(5,3,76,4/
> 0)), for example, the last value is Inf but the error is not thrown.
> 
> But I can save the vector and load it and the error still occurs. Would 
> someone be willing to look at that vector and maybe finds out the root 
of the 
> problem? (I'll send the vector by email)
> 
> As I said in the earlier email, the data is imported with read.dta of 
the 
> foreign library and the only manipulation I do is dividing the values of 
two 
> columns by each other.
> 
> Thanks a million,
>   Werner
> 
> 
> > 
> > I have a weird problem with my data but I cannot really
> > locate it and cannot make a small example data set do
> > reproduce the problem.
> > I basically divide one numerical column of a data frame
> > with another. When I run describe() on that column, I get
> > "Error in vector("integer", length) : vector size cannot be
> > NA/NaN"
> > 
> > The two original columns comprise many zero values and I
> > think the particular row which causes the problem ends up
> > with an "Inf". 
> > 
> > I fear that other functions might also not be reliable for
> > this data and that I have to repair it somehow. It actually
> > happens with many of the variables from the various tables
> > which originally are in Stata .dta format and which I import
> > with the foreign library.
> > 
> > I am working on windows XP and R 2.9.1
> > 
> > I assume that this description is too vague but if anybody
> > has an idea, I would appreciate it.
> > 
> > Thanks so much,
> >   Werner
> > 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
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