write_blocks: Write block designs to csv

Description

This function writes block-shaped lists (as created by read_blocks or make_design) to csv files, including both data and metadata in a variety of output formats

Usage

write_blocks(
  blocks,
  file,
  output_format = "multiple",
  block_name_location = NULL,
  block_name_header = "block_name",
  paste_sep = "_",
  filename_sep = "_",
  na = "",
  dir = NULL,
  ...
)

Value

Nothing, but R objects are written to files

Arguments

blocks

list of block-shaped data to be written to file

file

NULL, a character string naming a file to write to, or a vector of character strings naming files to write to.

A file name is required when output_format = "single"

A file name can be specified when output_format = "pasted", or file can be set to NULL as long as block_name_location = "filename" (where pasted block_name metadata will be used for the file name)

File names can be specified when output_format = "multiple", or file can be set to NULL as long as block_name_location = "filename" (where the block_name metadata will be used for the file names)

output_format

One of "single", "pasted", "multiple".

"single" will write all blocks into a single csv file, with an empty row between successive blocks.

"pasted" will paste all blocks together using a paste_sep, and then write that now-pasted block to a single csv file.

"multiple" will write each block to its own csv file.

block_name_location

Either NULL, 'filename' or 'file'.

If NULL, block_name_location will be automatically selected based on output_format. For output_format = 'single' and output_format = 'pasted', block_name_location defaults to 'file'. For output_format = 'multiple', block_name_location defaults to 'filename'

If 'filename', the block_name metadata will be used as the output file name(s) when no file name(s) are provided, or appended to file name(s) when they have been provided.

If 'file', the block_name metadata will be included as a row in the output file.

block_name_header

The name of the field containing the block_names

paste_sep

When output_format = 'pasted', what character will be used to paste together blocks.

filename_sep

What character will be used to paste together filenames when block_name_location = 'filename'.

na

The string to use for missing values in the data.

dir

The directory that file(s) will be written into. When dir = NULL, writes to the current working directory. (Can only be used when file = NULL)

...

Other arguments passed to write.table