sdrop {labelr}

Safely Drop Specified Columns of a Labeled Data Frame

Description

sdrop allows one to remove columns from a data.frame, returning the remaining columns as a data.frame that preserves the labelr attributes attached to the inputted data.frame.

Usage

sdrop(data, ...)

Arguments

data

the data.frame from which columns will be removed.

...

comma-separated, unquoted column/variable names to be discarded (e.g., cyl, mpg, not c("cyl", "mpg")), with no other special characters or symbols, such as quotes, parentheses, colons, minus signs, exclamation points, or other operators.

Details

This function accepts a data.frame, followed by a set of comma-separated, non-quoted column names to be discarded and returns the remaining columns as a data.frame that preserves labelr attribute information. NOTE: This command does NOT allow for positive specification of columns to be retained; rather, all variables not specified will be retained by default. Further, sdrop does not supported quoted column names, dplyr-like helper functions or other special selection syntax or idioms. See also ssubset, sselect, or sbrac); see also sfilter, ssort, srename, slab, and flab.

Value

a labelr label attribute-preserving data.frame consisting of the remaining (i.e., non-specified, non-discarded) subset of columns of the supplied data.frame.

Examples

# make toy demographic (gender, raceth, etc.) data set
set.seed(555)
df <- make_demo_data(n = 1000) # another labelr:: function
# let's add variable VALUE labels for variable "raceth"
df <- add_val_labs(df,
  vars = "raceth", vals = c(1:7),
  labs = c("White", "Black", "Hispanic", "Asian", "AIAN", "Multi", "Other"),
  max.unique.vals = 50
)

head(df, 3)
check_labs_att(df, "val.labs.raceth") # "raceth" lab specifically TRUE

dfless <- sdrop(df, id, raceth) # drop the vars id and raceth
head(dfless, 3) # selection worked
check_labs_att(dfless, "val.labs.raceth") # "raceth" value labels are gone