rbind with partially overlapping column names

df1 <- data.frame(a=c("A","A"),b=c("B","B"))
df2 <- data.frame(b=c("B","B"),c=c("c","c"))
merge(df1,df2,all=TRUE)

-----Original Message-----
From: r-help-bounces at r-project.org
[mailto:r-help-bounces at r-project.org] On Behalf Of Jonathan Flowers
Sent: Sunday, May 15, 2011 5:41 PM
To: r-help at r-project.org
Subject: [R] rbind with partially overlapping column names

Hello,

I would like to merge two data frames with partially
overlapping column
names with an rbind-like operation.

For the follow data frames,

df1 <- data.frame(a=c("A","A"),b=c("B","B"))
df2 <- data.frame(b=c("b","b"),c=c("c","c"))

I would like the output frame to be (with NAs where the frames don't
overlap)

a      b     c
A     B     NA
A     B     NA
NA   b     c
NA   b     c

I am familiar with ?merge and ?rbind, but neither seem to
offer a means to
accomplish this.

What is wrong with merge(all=TRUE,...)?

 > merge(df1,df2,all=TRUE)

   b    a    c
 1 B    A <NA>
 2 B    A <NA>
 3 b <NA>    c
 4 b <NA>    c
Rearrange the columns if that is necessary

 > merge(df1,df2,all=TRUE)[c("a","b","c")]

      a b    c
 1    A B <NA>
 2    A B <NA>
 3 <NA> b    c
 4 <NA> b    c

Bill Dunlap
Spotfire, TIBCO Software
wdunlap tibco.com 

Thanks in advance.

Jonathan

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