[R] Beginner needs help with R

[Jeff Newmiller]

I think it is important to point out that whenever R treats a number as a numeric (integer or double) it loses any base 10 concept of "leading zero" in that internal representation, so in this expression

seq2 <- paste0("DQ", sprintf("%06d", seq(060054, 060060)))

the arguments to seq have leading zeros that are ignored by R and have nothing to do with getting the desired output. That is,  the same result can be obtained using

seq2 <- paste0("DQ", sprintf("%06d", seq(60054, 60060)))

or

seq2 <- paste0("DQ", sprintf("%06d", seq(0060054, 00060060)))

since only the zero inside the format string is key to success. (If it makes you more comfortable to put the zero there for readability that is your choice, but R ignores therm.)

Also note that the paste0 function is not needed when you use sprintf:

seq2 <- sprintf("DQ%06d", seq(60054, 60060))

or

myprefix <- "DQ"
seq2 <- sprintf("%s%06d", myprefix,seq(60054, 60060))

-- 
Sent from my phone. Please excuse my brevity.

On February 6, 2017 5:45:43 AM PST, jim holtman <jholtman at gmail.com> wrote:
>You need the leading zeros, and 'numerics' just give the number without
>leading zeros.  You can use 'sprintf' for create a character string
>with
>the leading zeros:
>
>> # this is using 'numeric' and drops leading zeros
>>
>> seq1 <- paste("DQ", seq(060054, 060060), sep = "")
>> seq1
>[1] "DQ60054" "DQ60055" "DQ60056" "DQ60057" "DQ60058" "DQ60059"
>"DQ60060"
>>
>> # use 'sprintf' to create leading zeros
>> seq2 <- paste0("DQ", sprintf("%06d", seq(060054, 060060)))
>> seq2
>[1] "DQ060054" "DQ060055" "DQ060056" "DQ060057" "DQ060058" "DQ060059"
>"DQ060060"
>>
>
>
>Jim Holtman
>Data Munger Guru
>
>What is the problem that you are trying to solve?
>Tell me what you want to do, not how you want to do it.
>
>On Sun, Feb 5, 2017 at 8:50 PM, Nabila Arbi
><nabilaelarbi1912 at gmail.com>
>wrote:
>
>> Dear R-Help Team!
>>
>> I have some trouble with R. It's probably nothing big, but I can't
>find a
>> solution.
>> My problem is the following:
>> I am trying to download some sequences from ncbi using the ape
>package.
>>
>> seq1 <- paste("DQ", seq(060054, 060060), sep = "")
>>
>> sequences <- read.GenBank(seq1,
>> seq.names = seq1,
>> species.names = TRUE,
>> gene.names = FALSE,
>> as.character = TRUE)
>>
>> write.dna(sequences, "mysequences.fas", format = "fasta")
>>
>> My problem is, that R doesn't take the whole sequence number as
>"060054"
>> but it puts it as DQ60054 (missing the zero in the beginning, which
>is
>> essential).
>>
>> Could please tell me, how I can get R to accepting the zero in the
>> beginning of the accession number?
>>
>> Thank you very much in advance and all the best!
>>
>> Nabila
>>
>>         [[alternative HTML version deleted]]
>>
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>> PLEASE do read the posting guide http://www.R-project.org/
>> posting-guide.html
>> and provide commented, minimal, self-contained, reproducible code.
>>
>
>	[[alternative HTML version deleted]]
>
>______________________________________________
>R-help at r-project.org mailing list -- To UNSUBSCRIBE and more, see
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>PLEASE do read the posting guide
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>and provide commented, minimal, self-contained, reproducible code.