Error opening SHP file (maptools)

Don MacQueen <macq <at> llnl.gov> writes:

The help page for readShapePoints says that the file name that you 
supply should not include the extension.

The "system.file" part of the example in the help page is only to use 
the example file that came with the package. Since you want to open 
your own file you omit the system.file() bit.

Do something like:

    readShapePoints( 'C:/path_to_my_file/filename')

You may also - for safety's sake - say:

list.files(path="C:/path_to_my_file", pattern="filename")

to make sure that at least the minimum three files that make up a 
"shapefile" are present: filename.dbf, filename.shp, and filename.shx. 
Note that in Windows you can also use the file chooser, by saying:

readShapePoints(file.choose())

which will let you navigate to, and "see" the file name for yourself.

Roger

PS. As Paul mentioned, the R-sig-geo list is well suited to this 
kind of question.

Hope this helps.
-Don