[R] [FORGED] Re: identical() versus sapply()

[Rolf Turner]

On 09/04/16 16:24, Jeff Newmiller wrote:
> I highly recommend making friends with the str function. Try
>
> str( 1 )
> str( 1:2 )

Interesting.  But to me counter-intuitive.  Since R makes no distinction 
between scalars and vectors of length 1 (or more accurately I think, 
since in R there is *no such thing as a scalar*, only a vector of length 
1) I don't see why "1" should be treated in a manner that is 
categorically different from the way in which "1:2" is treated.

Can you, or someone else with deep insight into R and its rationale, 
explain the basis for this difference in treatment?

> for the clue you need, and then
>
> sapply( 1:2, identical, 1L )

cheers,

Rolf

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