R: Type Conversion on Character Variables

type.convert {base} | R Documentation

## Type Conversion on Character Variables

### Description

Convert a character vector to logical, integer, numeric, complex or factor as appropriate.

### Usage

    type.convert(x, na.strings = "NA", as.is = FALSE, dec = ".")

### Arguments

`x` | a character vector.
`na.strings` | a vector of strings which are to be interpreted as `NA` values. Blank fields are also considered to be missing values.
`as.is` | logical. See Details.
`dec` | the character to be assumed for decimal points.

### Details

This is principally a helper function for `read.table`. Given a character vector, it attempts to convert it to logical, integer, numeric or complex, and failing that converts it to factor unless `as.is = TRUE`. The first type that can accept all the non-missing values is chosen.

Vectors which are entirely missing values are converted to logical, since `NA` is primarily logical.

### Value

A vector of the selected class, or a factor.

### See Also

`read.table`

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