You can just create another variable which contains the "names" you want:
## let Year <- c(rep(1999,2),rep(2000,2),rep(2001,3)) ## one alternative getYearCode1 <- function(yr) { # yr can be a vector ifelse(yr==1999,"Year1", ifelse(yr==2000,"Year2", ifelse(yr==2001,"Year3"))) } ## another alternative ## more appropriate since you probably want ## a single value returned getYearCode2 <- function(yr) { # yr is a single value switch(as.character(yr), `1999` = "Year1", `2000` = "Year2", `2001` = "Year3") } ## Application: ## single value getYearCode1(Year[1]) getYearCode2(Year[1]) ## on a vector dataset$YearCode <- getYearCode1(Year) # or dataset$YearCode <- sapply(Year,getYearCode2) ## another option is match() df <- data.frame(Year=c(1999,2000,2001),YearCode=c("Year1","Year2","Year3")) dataset$YearCode <- df[match(Year,df[,"Year"]),"YearCode"] ##======================================================== ## reading from console subset(dataset,YearCode==scan("",what="")) subset(dataset, YearCode=={x <- function() {cat("YrCode: ");readline("")}; x()}) ## or as a function f <- function(x) { g <- function() { x <- function() { cat("YearCode: "); readline("") } subset(dataset,YearCode==x()) } } getSubset1 <- f(dataset) ## type at console. You will be prompted: datayear <- getSubset1() ## but easier is f <- function(x) { g <- function(y) subset(x,YearCode==y) } getSubset2 <- f(dataset) ## type at prompt datayear <- getSubset1(1999) --- "Spilak,Jacqueline [Edm]" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > I would like to know how I can assign a name to a name. I have a > dataset that has different years in it. I am writing scripts using R > and I would like to give a month a generic name and then use the generic > name to do different analysis. The reason for the generic name would be > so that I only have to change one thing if I wanted to change the year. > For example. > Year1 = 1999 > datayear <- subset(dataset, Year = Year1) > I would want to subset for whatever year is in "Year1". I am not sure > if R does this but it would be great if it does. Is there also anyway > for R to ask the user for the variable in the console without going into > the script and then use whatever the user puts in. Thanks for the help. > > [[alternative HTML version deleted]] > > ______________________________________________ > 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. > ______________________________________________ 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.