try this: dat <- data.frame(x = rnorm(100), y = sample(rep(1:2, each = 50)), z = sample(rep(1:4, 25))) ######### nams <- c("y", "z") dat[do.call(order, dat[nams]), ]
I hope it helps. Best, Dimitris ---- Dimitris Rizopoulos Ph.D. Student Biostatistical Centre School of Public Health Catholic University of Leuven Address: Kapucijnenvoer 35, Leuven, Belgium Tel: +32/(0)16/336899 Fax: +32/(0)16/337015 Web: http://med.kuleuven.be/biostat/ http://www.student.kuleuven.be/~m0390867/dimitris.htm ----- Original Message ----- From: "michael watson (IAH-C)" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: <r-help@stat.math.ethz.ch> Sent: Tuesday, November 28, 2006 11:45 AM Subject: [R] Sorting a data frame when you don't know the columns > Hi > > Sorry to ask such a well oiled question, but even with multiple > google hits I don't think this has been answered very well. > > It's all well and good doing a sort of a data frame on multiple > columns when you know in advance which columns you want to sort on, > but what about when the names of the columns you wish to sort on are > in a vector? > > At the minute I'm messing about with paste() to form a string that > works for order() and then calling do.call(). Is this really the > best way of doing it? > > Thanks > Mick > > ______________________________________________ > R-help@stat.math.ethz.ch mailing list > https://stat.ethz.ch/mailman/listinfo/r-help > PLEASE do read the posting guide > http://www.R-project.org/posting-guide.html > and provide commented, minimal, self-contained, reproducible code. > Disclaimer: http://www.kuleuven.be/cwis/email_disclaimer.htm ______________________________________________ R-help@stat.math.ethz.ch mailing list https://stat.ethz.ch/mailman/listinfo/r-help PLEASE do read the posting guide http://www.R-project.org/posting-guide.html and provide commented, minimal, self-contained, reproducible code.