NlsyLinks (version 1.003)

ColumnUtilities: A collection of functions that helps data management data.frames, particularly those derived from NLS Extracts.

Description

A collection of functions that helps data management data.frames, particularly those derived from NLS Extracts.

Usage

VerifyColumnExists( dataFrame, columnName )

RenameColumn( dataFrame, oldColumnName, newColumnName )

RenameNlsyColumn( dataFrame, nlsyRNumber, newColumnName )

Arguments

dataFrame

A data.frame object whose columns are to be verified or renamed.

columnName

The name of the column to verify is present in the data.frame.

nlsyRNumber

The name of the column to change.

oldColumnName

The name of the column to change.

newColumnName

The desired name of the column.

Value

• *IMPORTANT* The RenameColumn and RenameNlsyColumn functions do not use side-effects to rename the data.frame. Instead, it returns a new data.frame. In the example below, notice the assignment to ds: ds <- RenameNlsyColumn(...). The VerifyColumnExists function check that exactly one column exists with the specified columnName. If so, the index of the column is returned. If not, an exception is thrown.

Details

The RNumber assigned by the NLS has a pattern. In the Nlsy79 Gen1 dataset, the names start with a `R' or `T' and are followed by seven digits (eg, R0000100). In the Nlsy79 Gen2 dataset, the names start with `C' or `Y' and are followed by seven digits (eg, C0007030, Y1994600). In the NLS Investigator, a decimal is present in the RNumber (eg, R00001.00). When the Investigator saves the dataset as a CSV, the decimal is removed (R0000100).

Examples

filePathGen2 <- file.path(path.package("NlsyLinks"), "extdata", "Gen2Birth.csv") #"F:/Projects/RDev/NlsyLinksStaging/Datasets/Gen2Birth.csv"
ds <- read.csv(filePathGen2)

originalColumNames <- c("C0000100", "C0000200", "C0005300", "C0005400", 
  "C0005700", "C0328000", "C0328600", "C0328800")

newColumnNames <- c("SubjectID", "MotherID", "Race", "Gender", "Yob", 
  "GestationWeeks", "BirthWeightInOunces", "BirthLengthInInches")

for( columnIndex in seq_along(originalColumNames) ) {
  ds <- RenameNlsyColumn(ds, originalColumNames[columnIndex], newColumnNames[columnIndex])
}