That approach relies on df1 and df2 not having overlapping values in b. Slight variation in df2 gives different results:
> df1 <- data.frame(a=c("A","A"),b=c("B","B")) > df2 <- data.frame(b=c("B","B"),c=c("c","c")) > merge(df1,df2,all=TRUE) b a c 1 B A c 2 B A c 3 B A c 4 B A c On 5/15/11 11:19 PM, "William Dunlap" <wdun...@tibco.com> wrote: > >> -----Original Message----- >> From: r-help-boun...@r-project.org >> [mailto:r-help-boun...@r-project.org] On Behalf Of Jonathan Flowers >> Sent: Sunday, May 15, 2011 5:41 PM >> To: r-help@r-project.org >> Subject: [R] rbind with partially overlapping column names >> >> Hello, >> >> I would like to merge two data frames with partially >> overlapping column >> names with an rbind-like operation. >> >> For the follow data frames, >> >> df1 <- data.frame(a=c("A","A"),b=c("B","B")) >> df2 <- data.frame(b=c("b","b"),c=c("c","c")) >> >> I would like the output frame to be (with NAs where the frames don't >> overlap) >> >> a b c >> A B NA >> A B NA >> NA b c >> NA b c >> >> I am familiar with ?merge and ?rbind, but neither seem to >> offer a means to >> accomplish this. > >What is wrong with merge(all=TRUE,...)? > > merge(df1,df2,all=TRUE) > b a c > 1 B A <NA> > 2 B A <NA> > 3 b <NA> c > 4 b <NA> c >Rearrange the columns if that is necessary > > merge(df1,df2,all=TRUE)[c("a","b","c")] > a b c > 1 A B <NA> > 2 A B <NA> > 3 <NA> b c > 4 <NA> b c > >Bill Dunlap >Spotfire, TIBCO Software >wdunlap tibco.com >> >> Thanks in advance. >> >> Jonathan >> >> [[alternative HTML version deleted]] >> >> ______________________________________________ >> R-help@r-project.org mailing list >> https://stat.ethz.ch/mailman/listinfo/r-help >> PLEASE do read the posting guide >> http://www.R-project.org/posting-guide.html >> and provide commented, minimal, self-contained, reproducible code. >> > >______________________________________________ >R-help@r-project.org mailing list >https://stat.ethz.ch/mailman/listinfo/r-help >PLEASE do read the posting guide >http://www.R-project.org/posting-guide.html >and provide commented, minimal, self-contained, reproducible code. ______________________________________________ R-help@r-project.org mailing list https://stat.ethz.ch/mailman/listinfo/r-help PLEASE do read the posting guide http://www.R-project.org/posting-guide.html and provide commented, minimal, self-contained, reproducible code.