

   CChhaarraacctteerr VVeeccttoorrss

        character(length = 0)
        as.character(x)
        is.character(x)

   VVaalluuee::

        This function creates a character vector of the speci-
        fied length.  The elements of the vector are all equal
        to `""'.

        `as.character' attempts to coerce its argument to be of
        character type.

        `is.character' returns `TRUE' or `FALSE' depending on
        whether its argument is of character type or not.

