R's list data structure

FWIW:

Lists are a fundamental, universal, recursive data structure. All
other data structures (i.e. r.e. sets) can be represented as lists.
Indeed, one of the earliest "high level" (non-machine instructions)
computer languages, McCarthy's LISP = List Processing, is based on
lists. R was designed to be LISP-like (= a functional programming
language) in some fundamentals ways. So it is no surprise that lists
are widely used within R.

Cheers,
Bert

Hi Sarah,

??????????? Thanks you for the clarifications; I had worked round the problem by switching to a data.frame.

??????????? However, I am still unclear about 'list': as it exists, it must have a purpose. When is the use of the list data structure appropriate?

? ? ? ?[[alternative HTML version deleted]]

______________________________________________
R-help at r-project.org mailing list
https://stat.ethz.ch/mailman/listinfo/r-help
PLEASE do read the posting guide http://www.R-project.org/posting-guide.html
and provide commented, minimal, self-contained, reproducible code.

Bert Gunter
Genentech Nonclinical Biostatistics

Internal Contact Info:
Phone: 467-7374
Website:
http://pharmadevelopment.roche.com/index/pdb/pdb-functional-groups/pdb-biostatistics/pdb-ncb-home.htm