File path issues in R using Windows ("Hex digits in character string" error)

r filepath backslash path-separator
user297850 picture user297850 · Dec 8, 2011 · Viewed 222.1k times · Source

I run R on Windows, and have a csv file on the Desktop. I load it as follows,

x<-read.csv("C:\Users\surfcat\Desktop\2006_dissimilarity.csv",header=TRUE)

but the R gives the following error message

Error: '\U' used without hex digits in character string starting "C:\U"

So what's the correct way to load this file. I am using Vista

Answer

smitec picture smitec · Dec 8, 2011

replace all the \ with \\.

it's trying to escape the next character in this case the U so to insert a \ you need to insert an escaped \ which is \\

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