sselect {labelr}

Safely Select Specified Columns of a Labeled Data Frame

Description

sselect allows one to subset (select) columns from a data.frame, returning the selected columns as a data.frame that preserves the labelr attributes attached to the inputted data.frame.

Usage

sselect(data, ...)

Arguments

data

the data.frame from which columns will be selected.

...

comma-separated, unquoted column/variable names to be selected (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 retained and returns the selected columns in a data.frame that preserves labelr attribute information. NOTE: This command does not allow for negative selection, quoted columns, or dplyr-like helper functions or special selection idioms, but: see sdrop for negative selection ("return all columns except these"); see sbrac for a more flexible subsetting command; and see also ssubset, sfilter, ssort, and srename, as well as slab and flab.

Value

a labelr label attribute-preserving data.frame consisting of the selected subset of columns.

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 <- sselect(df, id, raceth) # select only the vars id and raceth
head(dfless, 3) # selection worked
check_labs_att(dfless, "val.labs.raceth") # "raceth" value labels preserved