I'm trying to learn R and I can't figure out how to append to a list.
If this were Python I would . . .
#Python
vector = []
values = ['a','b','c','d','e','f','g']
for i in range(0,len(values)):
vector.append(values[i])
How do you do this in R?
#R Programming
> vector = c()
> values = c('a','b','c','d','e','f','g')
> for (i in 1:length(values))
+ #append value[i] to empty vector
Appending to an object in a for loop causes the entire object to be copied on every iteration, which causes a lot of people to say "R is slow", or "R loops should be avoided".
As BrodieG mentioned in the comments: it is much better to pre-allocate a vector of the desired length, then set the element values in the loop.
Here are several ways to append values to a vector. All of them are discouraged.
# one way
for (i in 1:length(values))
vector[i] <- values[i]
# another way
for (i in 1:length(values))
vector <- c(vector, values[i])
# yet another way?!?
for (v in values)
vector <- c(vector, v)
# ... more ways
help("append")
would have answered your question and saved the time it took you to write this question (but would have caused you to develop bad habits). ;-)
Note that vector <- c()
isn't an empty vector; it's NULL
. If you want an empty character vector, use vector <- character()
.
If you absolutely must use a for loop, you should pre-allocate the entire vector before the loop. This will be much faster than appending for larger vectors.
set.seed(21)
values <- sample(letters, 1e4, TRUE)
vector <- character(0)
# slow
system.time( for (i in 1:length(values)) vector[i] <- values[i] )
# user system elapsed
# 0.340 0.000 0.343
vector <- character(length(values))
# fast(er)
system.time( for (i in 1:length(values)) vector[i] <- values[i] )
# user system elapsed
# 0.024 0.000 0.023