Read Data Values

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Read Data Values

Syntax

scan(file="", what=numeric(), nmax=0, sep="",
        skip=0, nlines=0)

Arguments

`file`	the name of a file to read data values from. If the specified file is `""`, then input is taken from the keyboard (in this case input can be terminated by a blank line).
`what`	the type of `what` gives the type of data to be read. If `what` is a list it is assumed that the lines of the data file are records which each contain `length(what)` items.
`nmax`	the maximum number of data values to be read, or if `what` is a list, the maximum number of records to be read.
`sep`	by default, scan expects to read white-space delimited input fields. Alternatively, `sep` can be used to specify a character which delimits fields.
`skip`	this many lines of the input file should be skipped before starting to read data values.
`nlines`	the maximum number of lines of data to be read.

Description

The value of what can be a list of types, in which case scan returns a list of vectors with the types given by the types of the elements in what. This provides a way of reading columnar data. Keyboard entry is terminated by typing a blank line.