[R] Variable labels

David Carlson dc@r|@on @end|ng |rom t@mu@edu
Fri May 14 18:00:32 CEST 2021


You might also look into packages `Hmisc` and `labelVector` that provide
some support for labeling variable names.

David C


On Fri, May 14, 2021 at 1:59 AM PIKAL Petr <petr.pikal using precheza.cz> wrote:

> Hallo Steven
>
> You probably need to be more specific what is your intention. I still
> wonder what is the real problem you want to solve.
>
> You loaded binary file and it resulted to 2 data frames. So far so good.
> But now I am lost.
>
> You want to merge info from data frame "desc" to data frame "data"? You
> can use attr.
> You want to make binary file which behaves like the one you get?  Use
> save/load.
> You want to do something different? So please explain what exactly.
>
> Cheers
> Petr
>
>
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: Steven Yen <styen using ntu.edu.tw>
> > Sent: Thursday, May 13, 2021 5:53 PM
> > To: PIKAL Petr <petr.pikal using precheza.cz>
> > Subject: Re: [R] Variable labels
> >
> > Petr
> >
> > Those attachments (1.jpg, 2.jpg) I sent earlier were just screen captures
> > (with a third-party program) of what I saw in the Environment pane right
> > after loading the data. Sorry I cannot explain my questions well enough.
> >
> > All I was showing you was, right after loading the binary data file, I
> saw two
> > data frames---data which contain the data, and desc which contains
> > definitions of all variables (as shown in 2.jpg). This is a data file
> from the
> > publisher and I wanted to know what it takes to create a binary data
> files
> > along with definitions of variables, both in the environment.
> >
> > Steven
> >
> > On 2021/5/13 下午 09:51, PIKAL Petr wrote:
> > > Hi Steven
> > >
> > > I probably do not understand your question correctly. In 1 you show two
> > objects "data" 14x42 data frame and "desc" which is 2x14 data frame, both
> > residing in global environment.
> > >
> > > In 2 you show contents of data frame desc where variable are probably
> > variable names which are also in data object.
> > >
> > > names(data)
> > >
> > > and label which is some more elaborate description of the variable.
> > >
> > > If you want to move this label into your data object you probably
> > > could use attr
> > >
> > > attr(data, "label") <- desc$label
> > >
> > > If the order of "variable" is same as the order of data columns.
> > >
> > > I do not understand what do you mean by - how to get that "desc" in
> > > there in the environment? It is already part of global environment. You
> > want to create some new environment and move you desc there?
> > >
> > > Beside, your images are not familiar to me, this is plain R or some
> kind of
> > special GUI like R studio?
> > >
> > > Cheers
> > > Petr
> > >
> > >> -----Original Message-----
> > >> From: Steven Yen <styen using ntu.edu.tw>
> > >> Sent: Thursday, May 13, 2021 1:37 PM
> > >> To: PIKAL Petr <petr.pikal using precheza.cz>
> > >> Subject: Re: [R] Variable labels
> > >>
> > >> Petr
> > >>
> > >> Thanks. I am sending this to you privately as I am sending attachment.
> > >>
> > >> 1. I load the binary file and see the data frame and what appears to
> > >> be description (desc) alongside it (1.jpg).
> > >>
> > >> 2. Expanding "desc", I get to read the documentation (contents of
> desc).
> > >> (2.jpg).
> > >>
> > >> #2 is all I need. I do not need to do anything fancy with the
> > >> variable label. I just like my students to have a simple ways of
> > >> learning the variables is the data file I provide to them.
> > >>
> > >> Again, my main question is, how to get that "desc" in there in the
> > >> environment. Thanks.
> > >>
> > >> Steven
> > >>
> > >> On 2021/5/13 下午 06:31, PIKAL Petr wrote:
> > >>> Hi.
> > >>>
> > >>> Maybe you could use attributes.
> > >>>
> > >>> dput(vec.m)
> > >>> structure(list(Group.1 = c(2003, 2021, 2003, 2021, 2003, 2021, 2003,
> > >>> 2021, 2003, 2021, 2003, 2021, 2003, 2021, 2003, 2021, 2003, 2021),
> > >>> variable = structure(c(1L, 1L, 2L, 2L, 3L, 3L, 4L, 4L, 5L, 5L, 6L,
> > >>> 6L, 7L, 7L, 8L, 8L, 9L, 9L), .Label = c("s6", "s5", "s4", "s3",
> > >>> "s2", "s1.5", "s.7", "s.5", "pod"), class = "factor"),
> > >>>       value = c(3.29, 0.525, 5.01, 1.385, 16.38, 7.67, 5.535, 3.28,
> > >>>       25.49, 24.41, 10.285, 12.79, 8.905, 12.92, 1.68, 3.67, 2.595,
> > >>>       5.06)), row.names = c(NA, -18L), class = "data.frame")
> > >>>
> > >>>> attr(vec.m, "some.kind.of.value") <- c("some specialvector",
> > >>>> "another special vector", "just ordinary vector")
> > >>> You can access them by attributes or attr.
> > >>>
> > >>>    attributes(vec.m)
> > >>> $row.names
> > >>>    [1]  1  2  3  4  5  6  7  8  9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18
> > >>>
> > >>> $names
> > >>> [1] "Group.1"  "variable" "value"
> > >>>
> > >>> $class
> > >>> [1] "data.frame"
> > >>>
> > >>> $some.kind.of.value
> > >>> [1] "some specialvector"     "another special vector" "just ordinary
> > vector"
> > >>>
> > >>>> attr(vec.m, "some")
> > >>> [1] "some specialvector"     "another special vector" "just ordinary
> > vector"
> > >>> Cheers
> > >>> Petr
> > >>>
> > >>>> -----Original Message-----
> > >>>> From: R-help <r-help-bounces using r-project.org> On Behalf Of Steven
> > Yen
> > >>>> Sent: Thursday, May 13, 2021 10:07 AM
> > >>>> To: Fredrik Karlsson <dargosch using gmail.com>
> > >>>> Cc: R-help Mailing List <r-help using r-project.org>
> > >>>> Subject: Re: [R] Variable labels
> > >>>>
> > >>>> Thanks. What I need “appears” simple. The .RData file is provided
> > >>>> by a third party (likely converted from a different data format
> > >>>> such as SAS in which variable labels (not value labels) are
> > >>>> common). When I load the binary file, in the “environment” I see,
> > >>>> as expected, a data frame showing how many observations for how
> > >>>> many variables. In addition, there is also an item (in the
> > >>>> environment) (say “desc”) containing a list of variable labels
> > >>>> (definitions).  I simply like to know how to get “desc” in the
> > >>>> environment—-it is a convenient way to show definitions of all
> > >>>> variables when you send a binary data file to a third party. Thank
> you.
> > >>>>
> > >>>>> On May 13, 2021, at 2:57 PM, Fredrik Karlsson <dargosch using gmail.com>
> > >>>> wrote:
> > >>>>> Hi,
> > >>>>>
> > >>>>> I am sorry but I don't understand your question, Generally,
> > >>>>> "clicking" is not
> > >>>> something you can assume to be implemented for anything in R.
> > >>>>> However, if you read the manual for the package
> > >>>>>
> > >>>>>
> https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://gdemin.github.io/expss/__;!!KwNVnqRv!U8ymUDChjP_1oBH6pjmrcYLLTL_FL6xmEsTlSAvVuix4Lw4fBPE7gW7LzanEAOY$
> > >>>>>
> > >>>>> you get an example at the bottom where an illustration of how the
> > >>>>> package
> > >>>> can be used to create Excel tables which would then be easy to
> > >>>> interact with through clicking.
> > >>>>> Is that what you wanted?
> > >>>>>
> > >>>>> Fredrik
> > >>>>>
> > >>>>>> On Thu, May 13, 2021 at 4:49 AM Steven Yen <styen using ntu.edu.tw>
> > >> wrote:
> > >>>>>> I insert variable with the expss function as shown below. No
> > >>>>>> error message. My question is, how to save the variable labels in
> > >>>>>> the data frame so that I can click to read the labels. Thank you.
> > >>>>>>
> > >>>>>> mydata<-read_excel("data/Excel/hseinv.xlsx",na=".")
> > >>>>>> library(expss)
> > >>>>>> mydata=apply_labels(mydata,
> > >>>>>>                        year   ="1947-1988",
> > >>>>>>                        inv    ="real housing inv, millions $",
> > >>>>>>                        pop    ="population, 1000s",
> > >>>>>>                        price  ="housing price index; 1982 = 1",
> > >>>>>>                        linv   ="log(inv)",
> > >>>>>>                        lpop   ="log(pop)",
> > >>>>>>                        lprice  ="log(price)",
> > >>>>>>                        t       ="time trend: t=1,...,42",
> > >>>>>>                        invpc   ="per capita inv: inv/pop",
> > >>>>>>                        linvpc  ="log(invpc)",
> > >>>>>>                        lprice_1="lprice[_n-1]",
> > >>>>>>                        linvpc_1="linvpc[_n-1]",
> > >>>>>>                        gprice  ="lprice - lprice_1",
> > >>>>>>                        ginvpc  ="linvpc - linvpc_1")
> > >>>>>>
> > >>>>>> ______________________________________________
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> > >>>>>>
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> > >>>>>> PLEASE do read the posting guide
> > >>>>>>
> https://urldefense.com/v3/__http://www.R-project.org/posting-guide.html__;!!KwNVnqRv!U8ymUDChjP_1oBH6pjmrcYLLTL_FL6xmEsTlSAvVuix4Lw4fBPE7gW7LJcwnVeY$
> > >>>>>> and provide commented, minimal, self-contained, reproducible
> > code.
> > >>>>> --
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> > >>>>> don't get
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> PLEASE do read the posting guide
> https://urldefense.com/v3/__http://www.R-project.org/posting-guide.html__;!!KwNVnqRv!U8ymUDChjP_1oBH6pjmrcYLLTL_FL6xmEsTlSAvVuix4Lw4fBPE7gW7LJcwnVeY$
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