Convert Dataframe Columns to Vectors in R (2 Examples)

This tutorial shows how you can convert dataframe columns to vectors in R with examples. The following shows the two methods to do it.

Method 1:

vector<-df$column

Method 2:

vector<-df[ , ‘column’]

Examples of Convert Dataframe columns to Vectors in R

Example 1 (Method 1)

The following is the R code to read a CSV file from GitHub as a dataframe and then select the column of write as a vector. Then, it prints out the saved vector.

# Import the data from GitHub
hsbdemo <- read.csv(file = 'https://raw.githubusercontent.com/TidyPython/SPSS/main/hsbdemo.csv')

# save the dataframe column to a vector
writing<-hsbdemo$write

# print out the vector
print(writing)

Output:

  [1] 35 33 39 37 31 36 36 31 41 37 44 33 31 44 35 44 46 46 46 49 39 44 47 44 37 38 49 44 41 50 44
 [32] 39 40 46 41 39 33 59 41 47 31 42 55 40 44 54 46 54 42 49 41 41 44 57 52 49 41 57 62 33 54 40
 [63] 52 57 49 46 57 49 52 53 54 57 41 52 57 54 52 52 44 46 49 54 52 44 49 46 54 39 59 45 52 54 44
 [94] 50 62 59 52 52 46 41 52 52 55 41 49 59 54 54 59 55 62 54 54 54 59 57 61 52 59 62 60 59 65 61
[125] 59 59 59 59 65 57 59 49 49 59 62 59 54 63 43 54 52 57 57 57 61 62 62 65 57 59 59 62 65 62 62
[156] 62 54 62 65 62 67 65 60 59 59 59 65 62 65 59 59 61 65 67 65 65 67 65 62 52 63 59 65 59 67 67
[187] 60 67 62 54 65 62 59 60 63 65 63 67 65 62

Example 2 (Method 2)

The following uses the dataset but with Method 2.

# Import the data from GitHub
hsbdemo <- read.csv(file = 'https://raw.githubusercontent.com/TidyPython/SPSS/main/hsbdemo.csv')

# save the dataframe column to a vector
writing<-hsbdemo[ ,'write']

# print out the vector
print(writing)

Output:

  [1] 35 33 39 37 31 36 36 31 41 37 44 33 31 44 35 44 46 46 46 49 39 44 47 44 37 38 49 44 41 50 44
 [32] 39 40 46 41 39 33 59 41 47 31 42 55 40 44 54 46 54 42 49 41 41 44 57 52 49 41 57 62 33 54 40
 [63] 52 57 49 46 57 49 52 53 54 57 41 52 57 54 52 52 44 46 49 54 52 44 49 46 54 39 59 45 52 54 44
 [94] 50 62 59 52 52 46 41 52 52 55 41 49 59 54 54 59 55 62 54 54 54 59 57 61 52 59 62 60 59 65 61
[125] 59 59 59 59 65 57 59 49 49 59 62 59 54 63 43 54 52 57 57 57 61 62 62 65 57 59 59 62 65 62 62
[156] 62 54 62 65 62 67 65 60 59 59 59 65 62 65 59 59 61 65 67 65 65 67 65 62 52 63 59 65 59 67 67
[187] 60 67 62 54 65 62 59 60 63 65 63 67 65 62

Difference between vectors and columns in R

Note that, hsbdemo[ ,'write'] is different from hsbdemo['write'].

# save the dataframe column as writing2
writing2<-hsbdemo['write']

# print out writing2
print(writing2)

The following is the output, and it shows how writing2 looks like.

Convert Dataframe Columns to Vectors in R

The following R code checks whether writing2 is a dataframe and the output shows that it is still a dataframe, even just one column.

# check if writing2 is a dataframe
is.data.frame(writing2)

# The following is the output of is.data.frame(writing2)
[1] TRUE

To conclude, this tutorial provides two examples to convert dataframe columns to vectors in R with examples. Further, this tutorial shows the difference between df[,’column_name’] and df[‘column_name’].

Examples of Convert Dataframe columns to Vectors in R

Example 1 (Method 1)

Example 2 (Method 2)

Difference between vectors and columns in R

Further Reading