reshape {base} | R Documentation

## Reshape grouped data

### Description

This function reshapes a dataframe between `wide' format with repeated measurements in separate columns of the same record and `long' format with the repeated measurements in separate records.

### Usage

    reshape(data, varying = NULL, v.names = NULL, timevar = "time",
        idvar = "id", ids = 1:NROW(data),
        times = seq(length = length(varying[[1]])),
        drop = NULL, direction, fix.row.names = TRUE,
        split=list(regexp="\.",include=FALSE)

### Arguments

`data` | A data frame
`varying` | Names of sets of variables in the wide format that correspond to single variables in long format (`time-varying'). A list of vectors (or optionally a matrix for `direction="wide"`). See below for more details and options
`v.names` | Names of variables in the long format that correspond to multiple variables in the wide format .
`timevar` | The variable in long format that differentiates multiple records from the same group/individual
`idvar` | The variable in long format that identifies multiple records from the same group/individual. This variable may also be present in wide format
`ids` | The values to use for a newly created `idvar` variable in long format
`times` | The values to use for a newly created `timevar` variable in long format
`drop` | A vector of names of variables to drop before reshaping
`direction` | `"wide" to reshape to wide format, "long" to reshape to long format`
`fix.row.names` | if `TRUE` and `direction="wide"`, create new row names in long format from the values of the id and time variables
`split` | information for guessing the `varying`, `v.names`, and `times` arguments. See below for details

### Details

The arguments to this function are described in terms of longitudinal data, as that is the application motivating the functions. A `wide' longitudinal dataset will have one record for each individual with some time-constant variables that occupy single columns and some time-varying variables that occupy a column for each time point. In `long' format there will be multiple records for each individual, with some variables being constant across these records and others varying across the records. A `long' format dataset also needs a `time' variable identifying which time point each record comes from and an `id' variable showing which records refer to the same person.

If the data frame resulted from a previous `reshape` then the operation can be reversed by specifying just the `direction` argument. The other arguments are stored as attributes on the data frame.

If `direction="long"` and no `varying` or `v.names` arguments are supplied it is assumed that all variables except `idvar` and `timevar` are time-varying. They are all expanded into multiple variables in wide format.

If `direction="wide"` the `varying` argument can be a vector of column names or column numbers (converted to column names). The function will attempt to guess the `v.names` and `times` from these names. The default is variable names like `x.1`, `x.2`,where `split=list(regexp="\.",include=FALSE)` to specifies to split at the dot and drop it from the name. To have alphabetic followed by numeric times use `split=list(regexp="[A-Za-z][0-9]",include=TRUE)`. This splits between the alphabetic and numeric parts of the name and does not drop the regular expression.

### Value

The reshaped data frame with added attributes to simplify reshaping back to the original form.

### See Also

`stack`, `aperm`

### Examples

    data(Indometh,package="nls")
    summary(Indometh)
    wide<-reshape(Indometh,v.names="conc",idvar="Subject",
                   timevar="time",direction="wide")
    wide

    reshape(wide, direction="long")
    reshape(wide, idvar="Subject",varying=list(names(wide)[2:12]),
              v.names="conc",direction="long")

    ## times need not be numeric
    df<-data.frame(id=rep(1:4,rep(2,4)),visit=I(rep(c("Before","After"),4)),
                  x=rnorm(4),y=runif(4))
    df
    reshape(df,timevar="visit",idvar="id",direction="wide")
    ## warns that y is really varying
    reshape(df,timevar="visit",idvar="id",direction="wide",v.names="x")

    ##  unbalanced `long' data leads to NA fill in `wide' form
    df2<-df[1:7,]
    df2
    reshape(df2,timevar="visit",idvar="id",direction="wide")

    ## Alternative regular expressions for guessing names
    df3<-data.frame(id=1:4,age=c(40,50,60,50),dose1=c(1,2,1,2),
                        dose2=c(2,1,2,1),dose4=c(3,3,3,3))
    reshape(df3,direction="long",varying=3:5,
             split=list(regexp="[a-z][0-9]",include=TRUE))

    ## an example that isn't longitudinal data
    data(state)
    state.x77<-as.data.frame(state.x77)
    long<-reshape(state.x77,idvar="state",ids=row.names(state.x77),
           times=names(state.x77),timevar="Characteristic",
           varying=list(names(state.x77)),direction="long")

    reshape(long,direction="wide")

    reshape(long,direction="wide",new.row.names=unique(long$state))

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