factors {lessR}

Create Factor Variables Across a Sequential Range or Vector of Variables

Description

Creates factors for many variables. Specify a range from a given start variable and end variable. Applies only to variables in a data frame, d by default, and outputs the entire data frame including the factor transformation.

Usage

factors(x, levels, labels=NULL, data=d, ordered=FALSE,
          new=FALSE, suffix="_f", var_labels=FALSE, ...)

Arguments

x

Name of variable(s) to convert to a factor. List a single variable or a vector

levels

Levels for which to define the factor.

labels

Value labels to assign to the levels. If not present then assumes the character version of the levels.

data

The data frame of interest.

ordered

If FALSE, factor levels are not ordered.

new

If FALSE, original variables are replaced, otherwise new factor variables are created.

suffix

The appended suffix to newly created variables from the original variable names when new is TRUE.

var_labels

Just create new variable labels for newly created factor variables, without doing a factor conversion, presumably after a previous run with factors converted to new factor variables.

...

Other parameter values_

Details

Returns the entire data frame if applied to one or more variables in a data frame, including the new factors.

Author(s)

David W. Gerbing (Portland State University; [e-mail])

Examples

# get the data, variables Gender plus m01 through m20, 20 Mach IV items
# coded as integers from 0 to 5 on 6-pt Likert scales
d <- rd("Mach4", quiet=TRUE)

# single variable converted to a factor
d <- factors(Gender, 0:1, c("Male", "Female"))

# Define the labels
LikertCats <- c("Strongly Disagree", "Disagree", "Slightly Disagree",
                "Slightly Agree", "Agree", "Strongly Agree")

# Convert the integer responses to factors for the 20 Mach IV items
d <- factors(m01:m20, levels=0:5, labels=LikertCats)

# read the data again and this time also the variable labels
d <- rd("Mach4", quiet=TRUE)
l <- rd("Mach4_lbl")

# convert specified variables to factors according to the given vector
#   of three variables only
# leave the original variables unmodified, create new variables
d <- factors(c(m06, m07, m20), levels=0:5, labels=LikertCats, new=TRUE)
# now copy the variable labels from the original integer variables to the 
#   newly created factor variables
l <- factors(c(m06, m07, m20), var_labels=TRUE)