CODEWITHSUNDEEP
rdata.table
jlhoward
jlhoward

Reputation: 59425

How to set multiple columns in a data table to values from different columns in the same data table?

Suppose I have a data frame with 6 columns, and I want to set col 1:3 to the values in col 4:6 (this comes up a lot when merging). With data frames it's easy:

set.seed(1)
df <- data.frame(matrix(sample(1:100,30),ncol=6))
df
#   X1 X2 X3 X4 X5 X6
# 1 27 86 19 43 75 29
# 2 37 97 16 88 17  1
# 3 57 62 61 83 51 28
# 4 89 58 34 32 10 81
# 5 20  6 67 63 21 25

df[,1:3] <- df[,4:6]                    # very, very straightforward...
df
#   X1 X2 X3 X4 X5 X6
# 1 43 75 29 43 75 29
# 2 88 17  1 88 17  1
# 3 83 51 28 83 51 28
# 4 32 10 81 32 10 81
# 5 63 21 25 63 21 25

With data.tables, not so much:

library(data.table)
dt <- data.table(df)
dt[,1:3,with=F] <- dt[,4:6,with=F]
## Error in `[<-.data.table`(`*tmp*`, , 1:3, with = F, value = list(X4 = c(43L,  : unused argument (with = F)

This works, but seems extremely complicated for such a simple transformation:

dt[, names(dt)[1:3]:=dt[,4:6,with=F]]   # very, very complicated...
dt
#    X1 X2 X3 X4 X5 X6
# 1: 43 75 29 43 75 29
# 2: 88 17  1 88 17  1
# 3: 83 51 28 83 51 28
# 4: 32 10 81 32 10 81
# 5: 63 21 25 63 21 25

The question is: is there a simpler way to assign one set of columns in a data table to the values from another set of columns in the same data table?

Upvotes: 10

Views: 3402

Answers (2)

Justin
Justin

Reputation: 43265

You can use the := operator and name column numbers in .SD:

dt[, 1:3 := .SD, .SDcols = 4:6]

> dt
   X1 X2 X3 X4 X5 X6
1: 43 75 29 43 75 29
2: 88 17  1 88 17  1
3: 83 51 28 83 51 28
4: 32 10 81 32 10 81
5: 63 21 25 63 21 25

Upvotes: 12

eddi
eddi

Reputation: 49448

Perhaps a for loop would look better?

for (i in 1:3) dt[[i]] = dt[[i+3]]

Upvotes: 4

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