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read.table error

4 messages · Eric C. Jennings, Brian Ripley, Peter Ehlers

Eric C. Jennings
# 
Hey, Once again I ask for some quick help.

Here is some code:
ovendata<- read.table("ovens.dat",header=TRUE)
attach(ovendata)
print(ovendata)

Here is the .dat file:
D    One     Two     Three   Four    Five    Seven   Eight
1130    254     252     375     384     252     375     876
127     250     250     384     386     251     378     875

Here is the R Console output:
Warning message:
incomplete final line found by readTableHeader on 'ovens.dat'
The following object(s) are masked from ovendata ( position 3 ) :

         D Eight Five Four One Seven Three Two 


        The following object(s) are masked from ovendata ( position 4 ) :

         D Eight Five Four One Seven Three Two 


        The following object(s) are masked from ovendata ( position 5 ) :

         Eight Five Four One Seven Three Two 


        The following object(s) are masked from package:stats :

         D
D One Two Three Four Five Seven Eight
1 1130 254 252   375  384  252   375   876
2  127 250 250   384  386  251   378   875
I've never seen anything like theis before. What's going on?

Eric
Brian Ripley
# 
I see no error here, let alone an error in read.table as claimed in your 
subject line.

The posting guide does specifically ask `Use an informative subject line'.

Please distinguish warnings about _your_ usage from errors in R.

The first warning is that R fixed up an error in your file: it is missing 
a newline at the end of the last line (we can't see that in your listing).

The remaining warnings come from attach() and say you have already 
repeatedly attach()ed ovendata.  Learn to use detach() to match attach().
Also, in attaching ovendata you mask the function D in package stats, 
which is probably OK as you are not using it, and your D is a not a 
function.
On Wed, 7 Dec 2005, Eric C. Jennings wrote:

            

      
      
      
    

        

      
      
    

        

  
    

      
      
    

  


  


      

    

    

      
      

        


  

        

      Eric C. Jennings
    

    

      
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Prof. Pipley

First let me thank you for your help.
Second, you are correct, I should not have used the word error in my subject 
line.
Regarding the lack of detach(), I simply forgot to include that in my email.
The warnings regarding the incomplete final line do not seem to want to go 
away.
The masking messages

            

      
      
      
    

        
do go away if I use: rm(list=ls(all=TRUE))

thanks,
Eric

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Prof Brian Ripley" <ripley at stats.ox.ac.uk>
To: "Eric C. Jennings" <matheric at u.washington.edu>
Cc: <r-help at stat.math.ethz.ch>
Sent: Wednesday, December 07, 2005 11:05 PM
Subject: Re: [R] Warnings about user error (was read.table error)

            

      
      
      
    

        

      
      
    

            

      
      
      
    

  
  


  


      

    

    

      
      

        


  

        

      Peter Ehlers
    

    

      
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Eric,

Have you tried just copying your data from your email (this mail, e.g.)
to your preferred text editor, removing any mailer-inserted leading
characters, ensuring a newline at the end of the last line, and then
using read.table (perhaps via the clipboard if you're on Windows)?
Works for me with no warnings.

As Prof. Ripley said, your file must not have a newline at the end of
the last line. Your editor should let you display special characters.

Peter Ehlers

        
Eric C. Jennings wrote: