Its just any Windows batch command string that filters stdin to stdout. What the command consists of should not be important. An invocation of perl that runs a perl script that filters stdin to stdout might look like this: read.csv.sql("myfile.dat", filter = "perl myprog.pl")
For an actual example see the source of read.csv2.sql which defaults to using a Windows vbscript program as a filter. On Sat, Feb 6, 2010 at 10:16 AM, Vadlamani, Satish {FLNA} <satish.vadlam...@fritolay.com> wrote: > Jim, Gabor: > Thanks so much for the suggestions where I can use read.csv.sql and embed > Perl (or gawk). I just want to mention that I am running on Windows. I am > going to read the documentation the filter argument and see if it can take a > decent sized Perl script and then use its output as input. > > Suppose that I write a Perl script that parses this fwf file and creates a > CSV file. Can I embed this within the read.csv.sql call? Or, can it only be a > statement or something? If you know the answer, please let me know. > Otherwise, I will try a few things and report back the results. > > Thanks again. > Saitsh > > > -----Original Message----- > From: jim holtman [mailto:jholt...@gmail.com] > Sent: Saturday, February 06, 2010 6:16 AM > To: Gabor Grothendieck > Cc: Vadlamani, Satish {FLNA}; r-help@r-project.org > Subject: Re: [R] Reading large files > > In perl the 'unpack' command makes it very easy to parse fixed fielded data. > > On Fri, Feb 5, 2010 at 9:09 PM, Gabor Grothendieck > <ggrothendi...@gmail.com> wrote: >> Note that the filter= argument on read.csv.sql can be used to pass the >> input through a filter written in perl, [g]awk or other language. >> For example: read.csv.sql(..., filter = "gawk -f myfilter.awk") >> >> gawk has the FIELDWIDTHS variable for automatically parsing fixed >> width fields, e.g. >> http://www.delorie.com/gnu/docs/gawk/gawk_44.html >> making this very easy but perl or whatever you are most used to would >> be fine too. >> >> On Fri, Feb 5, 2010 at 8:50 PM, Vadlamani, Satish {FLNA} >> <satish.vadlam...@fritolay.com> wrote: >>> Hi Gabor: >>> Thanks. My files are all in fixed width format. They are a lot of them. It >>> would take me some effort to convert them to CSV. I guess this cannot be >>> avoided? I can write some Perl scripts to convert fixed width format to CSV >>> format and then start with your suggestion. Could you let me know your >>> thoughts on the approach? >>> Satish >>> >>> >>> -----Original Message----- >>> From: Gabor Grothendieck [mailto:ggrothendi...@gmail.com] >>> Sent: Friday, February 05, 2010 5:16 PM >>> To: Vadlamani, Satish {FLNA} >>> Cc: r-help@r-project.org >>> Subject: Re: [R] Reading large files >>> >>> If your problem is just how long it takes to load the file into R try >>> read.csv.sql in the sqldf package. A single read.csv.sql call can >>> create an SQLite database and table layout for you, read the file into >>> the database (without going through R so R can't slow this down), >>> extract all or a portion into R based on the sql argument you give it >>> and then remove the database. See the examples on the home page: >>> http://code.google.com/p/sqldf/#Example_13._read.csv.sql_and_read.csv2.sql >>> >>> On Fri, Feb 5, 2010 at 2:11 PM, Satish Vadlamani >>> <satish.vadlam...@fritolay.com> wrote: >>>> >>>> Matthew: >>>> If it is going to help, here is the explanation. I have an end state in >>>> mind. It is given below under "End State" header. In order to get there, I >>>> need to start somewhere right? I started with a 850 MB file and could not >>>> load in what I think is reasonable time (I waited for an hour). >>>> >>>> There are references to 64 bit. How will that help? It is a 4GB RAM machine >>>> and there is no paging activity when loading the 850 MB file. >>>> >>>> I have seen other threads on the same types of questions. I did not see any >>>> clear cut answers or errors that I could have been making in the process. >>>> If >>>> I am missing something, please let me know. Thanks. >>>> Satish >>>> >>>> >>>> End State >>>>> Satish wrote: "at one time I will need to load say 15GB into R" >>>> >>>> >>>> ----- >>>> Satish Vadlamani >>>> -- >>>> View this message in context: >>>> http://n4.nabble.com/Reading-large-files-tp1469691p1470667.html >>>> Sent from the R help mailing list archive at Nabble.com. >>>> >>>> ______________________________________________ >>>> R-help@r-project.org mailing list >>>> https://stat.ethz.ch/mailman/listinfo/r-help >>>> PLEASE do read the posting guide >>>> http://www.R-project.org/posting-guide.html >>>> and provide commented, minimal, self-contained, reproducible code. >>>> >>> >> >> ______________________________________________ >> R-help@r-project.org mailing list >> https://stat.ethz.ch/mailman/listinfo/r-help >> PLEASE do read the posting guide http://www.R-project.org/posting-guide.html >> and provide commented, minimal, self-contained, reproducible code. >> > > > > -- > Jim Holtman > Cincinnati, OH > +1 513 646 9390 > > What is the problem that you are trying to solve? > ______________________________________________ R-help@r-project.org mailing list https://stat.ethz.ch/mailman/listinfo/r-help PLEASE do read the posting guide http://www.R-project.org/posting-guide.html and provide commented, minimal, self-contained, reproducible code.