micromapST (version 1.1.1)

bordGrp: Defining different spatial areas for Linked Micromap using the micromapST package

Description

The micromapST function can be used to create linked micromaps for may different spatial areas by using different border groups. Several border group (bordGrp) examples are contained in the package and include the 51 states and DC of the United States, the counties of Kansas, Maryland, New York, Utah, the countries and provinces of the U.K. and China, and the U. S. Seer Registries used by the National Cancer Institute. Each border group is a different dataset containing the unique boundaries and operational information to allow micromapST to work in a different spatial area. The structure of each border group dataset is identical with the same variable names and types of structures. A user can build their own border group dataset to meet their specific spatial area needs. Because the package contains several border group datasets, the use of lazydata or lazyloading has been disabled. The name of the border group is specified in the bordGrp call parameter. To permit a user to reference a border group dataset not contained in the package, and reside in a user's folder, the bordDir must be used to direct the package to the border group. The border group must be saved under R using the save function with the file extension of ".rda". For example: bordGrp="private",bordDir="c:/SavedBorderGroups" Each border group contain six (6) datasets by the same data.frame names. This allows the micromapST package the ability to quickly load a particular border group and create the requested micromaps. The five data.frames are: areaParms, areaNamesAbbrsIDs, areaVisBorders, L2VisBorders, RegVisBorders, and L3VisBorders. Since the same data.frame names are reused in each border group, the R lazyload feature is disabled in the package.

The following describes the purpose and structure of each data.frame in the border group dataset:

Details

The default border group is USStatesBG to be compatible with older R scripts using previous versions of the micromapST package. This section provide the data frame structural details of each of data.frame and variables in the border group dataset.

Each border group contains the same six data.frames using the same six names. This allows the micromapST package the ability to quickly load a particular border group and create the requested micromaps. See the write up on each included border group for details on the specific content of their border group dataset and the list of sub-area names, abbreviations, and id that should be used to link the data to the boundary information. The regions feature and RegVisBorder overlays are only supported in the following border groups: USStatesBG USSeerBG UKIrelendBG ChinaBG border groups.