madshapR (version 2.0.0)

as_data_dict: Validate and coerce any object as a data dictionary

Description

Checks if an object is a valid data dictionary and returns it with the appropriate madshapR::class attribute. This function mainly helps validate inputs within other functions of the package but could be used to check if an object is valid for use in a function. If either the columns 'typeof' or 'class' already exists in 'Variables', or 'na_values', 'labels' in 'Categories', the function will return the same data dictionary. Otherwise, These columns will be added, using 'valueType' in 'Variables', and, 'label' and 'missing' in 'Categories.

Usage

as_data_dict(object)

Value

A list of data frame(s) with madshapR::class 'data_dict'.

Arguments

object

A potential data dictionary object to be coerced.

Details

A data dictionary contains the list of variables in a dataset and metadata about the variables and can be associated with a dataset. A data dictionary object is a list of data frame(s) named 'Variables' (required) and 'Categories' (if any). To be usable in any function, the data frame 'Variables' must contain at least the name column, with all unique and non-missing entries, and the data frame 'Categories' must contain at least the variable and name columns, with unique combination of variable and name.

See Also

For a better assessment, please use data_dict_evaluate().

Examples

{

library(dplyr)

# use madshapR_examples provided by the package
###### Example 1 : use the function to apply the attribute "data_dict" to the 
# object. 
data_dict <- 
  as_data_dict(madshapR_examples$`data_dictionary_example - as_data_dict`)

glimpse(data_dict)

###### Example 2 : use the function to shape the data dictionary formatted as
# data_dict_mlstr to data_dict object. The function mainly converts valueType 
# column into corresponding typeof/class columns in 'Variables', and converts
# missing column into "na_values" column. 
data_dict <- as_data_dict_mlstr(madshapR_examples$`data_dictionary_example`)
data_dict <- as_data_dict(data_dict)

glimpse(data_dict)

}