replace multiple values in vector at once

Hi,
library(car)
?recode(x,"'x'=1;'y'=2;'z'=3")
#[1] 1 1 1 2 2 2 3 3 3
#or
as.numeric(factor(x))
#[1] 1 1 1 2 2 2 3 3 3
A.K.




----- Original Message -----
From: Trevor Davies <davies.trevor at gmail.com>
To: "r-help at r-project.org" <r-help at r-project.org>
Cc: 
Sent: Friday, July 12, 2013 5:56 PM
Subject: Re: [R] replace multiple values in vector at once

I always think that replying to your own r-help feels silly but it's good
to close these things out.

here's my hack solution:

x1<-merge(data.frame(A=x),data.frame(A=c('x','y','z'),B=c(1,2,2)),by='A')[,2]

Well that works and should for my more complex situation.? If anyone has
something a little less heavy handed I'd live to hear it.

Have a great weekend.

I'm trying to find a function that can replace multiple instances of
values or characters in a vector in a one step operation.? As an example,
the vector:

x <- c(rep('x',3),rep('y',3),rep('z',3))

x

[1] "x" "x" "x" "y" "y" "y" "z" "z" "z"

I would simply like to replace all of the x's with 1's, y:2 & z:3 (or
other characters).
i.e:

x

[1] "1" "1" "1" "2" "2" "2" "3" "3" "3"

Of course, I'm aware of the replace function but this obviously gets a
little unwieldy when there are :
x<-replace(x,x=='x',1)
x<-replace(x,y=='x',2)
x<-replace(x,z=='x',3)

but I can't figure out how to do it in a one stop operation.? My real
needs is more complex obviously.? This is one of those seemingly simple
r-operations that should be obvious but I'm coming up empty on this one.

Thanks for the help.
Trevor

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