From maechler at stat.math.ethz.ch  Wed Aug 16 09:41:14 2017
From: maechler at stat.math.ethz.ch (Martin Maechler)
Date: Wed, 16 Aug 2017 09:41:14 +0200
Subject: [Rd] strange behaviour read.table and clipboard
In-Reply-To: <6E8D8DFDE5FA5D4ABCB8508389D1BF88FFAAABF0@SRVEXCHCM301.precheza.cz>
References: <6E8D8DFDE5FA5D4ABCB8508389D1BF88FFAAAB50@SRVEXCHCM301.precheza.cz>
 <da145467-18b0-bc61-e3b1-6f18281d88ac@gmail.com>
 <6E8D8DFDE5FA5D4ABCB8508389D1BF88FFAAABF0@SRVEXCHCM301.precheza.cz>
Message-ID: <22931.63258.575157.518757@stat.math.ethz.ch>

>>>>> PIKAL Petr <petr.pikal at precheza.cz>
>>>>>     on Wed, 16 Aug 2017 06:25:48 +0000 writes:

    > Hi Duncan The simples spreadsheet is:

    > Put a name in the cell, let say "a1" Put number e.g. 1
    > below "a1" Copy the number to enough rows Select this
    > column and press ctrl-c

    > result is

    >> temp<- read.delim("clipboard") str(temp)
    > 'data.frame': 1513 obs. of 1 variable: $ a1: Factor w/ 2
    > levels "1","a1": 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 ...
    >> which(temp$a1=="a1")
    > [1] 1365
    >> 

To make this much easier to diagnose,
use something like

  str(ll <- readLines("clipboard"))

and do this both in R 3.4.1 (or R 3.4.1 patched) and R-devel.
(very easy if you use Emacs ESS also on Windows and have several
 versions of R installed)

I just did that and both versions of R behaved identically,
i.e., returned the same 'll'

(I've tried with different versions of Copy regions from excel;
 my version of Windows (2008 Server R2, fully uptodate with
 updates) is very different than yours; Office is said to be
 Office 2013).

Martin




    > I tested it in vanilla R

    >> sessionInfo()
    > R Under development (unstable) (2017-07-31 r73003)
    > Platform: x86_64-w64-mingw32/x64 (64-bit) Running under:
    > Windows 10 x64 (build 14393)

    > Matrix products: default

    > locale: [1] LC_COLLATE=Czech_Czech Republic.1250
    > LC_CTYPE=Czech_Czech Republic.1250 [3]
    > LC_MONETARY=Czech_Czech Republic.1250 LC_NUMERIC=C [5]
    > LC_TIME=Czech_Czech Republic.1250

    > attached base packages: [1] stats graphics grDevices utils
    > datasets methods base

    > loaded via a namespace (and not attached): [1]
    > compiler_3.5.0
    >> 

    > Excel 16 or 15 I am not sure.

    > R-devel 2015 (69443) works as expected so it started a
    > believe around May or June this year, when I installed new
    > R version.

    > I hope it could help to trace the problem. If I can help
    > any further, let me know.

    > Best regards Petr



    >> -----Original Message----- From: Duncan Murdoch
    >> [mailto:murdoch.duncan at gmail.com] Sent: Wednesday, August
    >> 16, 2017 12:35 AM To: PIKAL Petr
    >> <petr.pikal at precheza.cz>; r-devel at r-project.org Subject:
    >> Re: [Rd] strange behaviour read.table and clipboard
    >> 
    >> On 15/08/2017 10:03 AM, PIKAL Petr wrote: > Dear all
    >> >
    >> > I used to transfer data from excel to R by simple
    >> ctrl-c and read.delim("clipboard") construction. I know
    >> it is a bad practice but it is easy and for quick
    >> exploratory work it is OK. However after changing to new
    >> R devel few days ago I encountered weird behaviour. I
    >> tried one or two columns.
    >> 
    >> You haven't posted something that is reproducible.  I
    >> don't have Excel, but I can cut and paste from
    >> Libreoffice, and I don't see this.  However, it's not the
    >> same spreadsheet as you used, so I wouldn't be
    >> comfortable saying I did what you did.
    >> 
    >> Please reduce the size of your spreadsheet if you can,
    >> and then post instructions for how to construct it, and
    >> what to cut and paste from it.  Then others can try what
    >> you did and see if this is specific to your machine, to
    >> that particular version of R-devel, to Excel, etc.
    >> 
    >> Duncan Murdoch
    >> 
    >> 
    >> > In case of 2 columns, header is repeated after 526
    >> items >> mar<-read.delim("clipboard") >>
    >> which(mar$a2=="a1") > [1] 525 1051 1577 >>
    >> diff(which(mar$a2=="a1")) > [1] 526 526 > and only first
    >> header item is repeated.
    >> >
    >> > In case of one column, header is repeated after 1107
    >> items
    >> >
    >> >> mar<-read.delim("clipboard") >>
    >> diff(which(mar$a2=="a2")) > [1] 1107 1107
    >> >
    >> > And all items in object are therefore changed to
    >> factor.
    >> >
    >> > BTW, readxl package works on same excel file smoothly.
    >> >
    >> > I will try to download the most recent R version to
    >> check it, but it could take some time due to our IT
    >> issues.
    >> >
    >> > Best regards > Petr
    >> >
    >> >> version > _ > platform x86_64-w64-mingw32 > arch
    >> x86_64 > os mingw32 > system x86_64, mingw32 > status
    >> Under development (unstable) > major 3 > minor 5.0 > year
    >> 2017 > month 07 > day 31 > svn rev 73003 > language R >
    >> version.string R Under development (unstable) (2017-07-31
    >> r73003) > nickname Unsuffered Consequences
    >> >
    >> >
    >> > ________________________________ > Tento e-mail a
    >> jak?koliv k n?mu p?ipojen? dokumenty jsou d?v?rn? a jsou
    >> ur?eny pouze jeho adres?t?m.  > Jestli?e jste obdr?el(a)
    >> tento e-mail omylem, informujte laskav? neprodlen? jeho
    >> odes?latele. Obsah tohoto emailu i s p??lohami a jeho
    >> kopie vyma?te ze sv?ho syst?mu.  > Nejste-li zam??len?m
    >> adres?tem tohoto emailu, nejste opr?vn?ni tento email
    >> jakkoliv u??vat, roz?i?ovat, kop?rovat ?i zve?ej?ovat.  >
    >> Odes?latel e-mailu neodpov?d? za eventu?ln? ?kodu
    >> zp?sobenou modifikacemi ?i zpo?d?n?m p?enosu e-mailu.
    >> >
    >> > V p??pad?, ?e je tento e-mail sou??st? obchodn?ho
    >> jedn?n?: > - vyhrazuje si odes?latel pr?vo ukon?it
    >> kdykoliv jedn?n? o uzav?en? smlouvy, a to z jak?hokoliv
    >> d?vodu i bez uveden? d?vodu.  > - a obsahuje-li nab?dku,
    >> je adres?t opr?vn?n nab?dku bezodkladn? p?ijmout;
    >> Odes?latel tohoto e-mailu (nab?dky) vylu?uje p?ijet?
    >> nab?dky ze strany p??jemce s dodatkem ?i odchylkou.  > -
    >> trv? odes?latel na tom, ?e p??slu?n? smlouva je uzav?ena
    >> teprve v?slovn?m dosa?en?m shody na v?ech jej?ch
    >> n?le?itostech.  > - odes?latel tohoto emailu informuje,
    >> ?e nen? opr?vn?n uzav?rat za spole?nost ??dn? smlouvy s
    >> v?jimkou p??pad?, kdy k tomu byl p?semn? zmocn?n nebo
    >> p?semn? pov??en a takov? pov??en? nebo pln? moc byly
    >> adres?tovi tohoto emailu p??padn? osob?, kterou adres?t
    >> zastupuje, p?edlo?eny nebo jejich existence je adres?tovi
    >> ?i osob? j?m zastoupen? zn?m?.
    >> >
    >> > This e-mail and any documents attached to it may be
    >> confidential and are intended only for its intended
    >> recipients.  > If you received this e-mail by mistake,
    >> please immediately inform its sender.  Delete the
    >> contents of this e-mail with all attachments and its
    >> copies from your system.  > If you are not the intended
    >> recipient of this e-mail, you are not authorized to use,
    >> disseminate, copy or disclose this e-mail in any manner.
    >> > The sender of this e-mail shall not be liable for any
    >> possible damage caused by modifications of the e-mail or
    >> by delay with transfer of the email.
    >> >
    >> > In case that this e-mail forms part of business
    >> dealings: > - the sender reserves the right to end
    >> negotiations about entering into a contract in any time,
    >> for any reason, and without stating any reasoning.  > -
    >> if the e-mail contains an offer, the recipient is
    >> entitled to immediately accept such offer; The sender of
    >> this e-mail (offer) excludes any acceptance of the offer
    >> on the part of the recipient containing any amendment or
    >> variation.  > - the sender insists on that the respective
    >> contract is concluded only upon an express mutual
    >> agreement on all its aspects.  > - the sender of this
    >> e-mail informs that he/she is not authorized to enter
    >> into any contracts on behalf of the company except for
    >> cases in which he/she is expressly authorized to do so in
    >> writing, and such authorization or power of attorney is
    >> submitted to the recipient or the person represented by
    >> the recipient, or the existence of such authorization is
    >> known to the recipient of the person represented by the
    >> recipient.  >
    >> ______________________________________________ >
    >> R-devel at r-project.org mailing list >
    >> https://stat.ethz.ch/mailman/listinfo/r-devel
    >> >


    > ________________________________ Tento e-mail a jak?koliv
    > k n?mu p?ipojen? dokumenty jsou d?v?rn? a jsou ur?eny
    > pouze jeho adres?t?m.  Jestli?e jste obdr?el(a) tento
    > e-mail omylem, informujte laskav? neprodlen? jeho
    > odes?latele. Obsah tohoto emailu i s p??lohami a jeho
    > kopie vyma?te ze sv?ho syst?mu.  Nejste-li zam??len?m
    > adres?tem tohoto emailu, nejste opr?vn?ni tento email
    > jakkoliv u??vat, roz?i?ovat, kop?rovat ?i zve?ej?ovat.
    > Odes?latel e-mailu neodpov?d? za eventu?ln? ?kodu
    > zp?sobenou modifikacemi ?i zpo?d?n?m p?enosu e-mailu.

    > V p??pad?, ?e je tento e-mail sou??st? obchodn?ho jedn?n?:
    > - vyhrazuje si odes?latel pr?vo ukon?it kdykoliv jedn?n? o
    > uzav?en? smlouvy, a to z jak?hokoliv d?vodu i bez uveden?
    > d?vodu.  - a obsahuje-li nab?dku, je adres?t opr?vn?n
    > nab?dku bezodkladn? p?ijmout; Odes?latel tohoto e-mailu
    > (nab?dky) vylu?uje p?ijet? nab?dky ze strany p??jemce s
    > dodatkem ?i odchylkou.  - trv? odes?latel na tom, ?e
    > p??slu?n? smlouva je uzav?ena teprve v?slovn?m dosa?en?m
    > shody na v?ech jej?ch n?le?itostech.  - odes?latel tohoto
    > emailu informuje, ?e nen? opr?vn?n uzav?rat za spole?nost
    > ??dn? smlouvy s v?jimkou p??pad?, kdy k tomu byl p?semn?
    > zmocn?n nebo p?semn? pov??en a takov? pov??en? nebo pln?
    > moc byly adres?tovi tohoto emailu p??padn? osob?, kterou
    > adres?t zastupuje, p?edlo?eny nebo jejich existence je
    > adres?tovi ?i osob? j?m zastoupen? zn?m?.

    > This e-mail and any documents attached to it may be
    > confidential and are intended only for its intended
    > recipients.  If you received this e-mail by mistake,
    > please immediately inform its sender. Delete the contents
    > of this e-mail with all attachments and its copies from
    > your system.  If you are not the intended recipient of
    > this e-mail, you are not authorized to use, disseminate,
    > copy or disclose this e-mail in any manner.  The sender of
    > this e-mail shall not be liable for any possible damage
    > caused by modifications of the e-mail or by delay with
    > transfer of the email.

    > In case that this e-mail forms part of business dealings:
    > - the sender reserves the right to end negotiations about
    > entering into a contract in any time, for any reason, and
    > without stating any reasoning.  - if the e-mail contains
    > an offer, the recipient is entitled to immediately accept
    > such offer; The sender of this e-mail (offer) excludes any
    > acceptance of the offer on the part of the recipient
    > containing any amendment or variation.  - the sender
    > insists on that the respective contract is concluded only
    > upon an express mutual agreement on all its aspects.  -
    > the sender of this e-mail informs that he/she is not
    > authorized to enter into any contracts on behalf of the
    > company except for cases in which he/she is expressly
    > authorized to do so in writing, and such authorization or
    > power of attorney is submitted to the recipient or the
    > person represented by the recipient, or the existence of
    > such authorization is known to the recipient of the person
    > represented by the recipient.
    > ______________________________________________
    > R-devel at r-project.org mailing list
    > https://stat.ethz.ch/mailman/listinfo/r-devel



[Rd] strange behaviour read.table and clipboard
Martin Maechler