Combine List of Vectors to Single Vector in R (2 Examples)
In this R tutorial you’ll learn how to convert a list of vectors to a single vector object.
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Creation of Exemplifying Data
Have a look at the following example data:
my_list <- list(5:1, # Create example list 10:15, 25) my_list # Print example list # [[1]] # [1] 5 4 3 2 1 # # [[2]] # [1] 10 11 12 13 14 15 # # [[3]] # [1] 25
The previous output of the RStudio console shows the structure of our example data – It’s a list object consisting of three list elements.
Example 1: Convert List of Vectors to Single Vector Using unlist() Function
In Example 1, I’ll explain how to combine the vector objects in our list to a single vector object using the basic installation of the R programming language.
For this, we can apply the unlist function as shown below:
my_vec1 <- unlist(my_list) # Apply unlist() function my_vec1 # Print vector # [1] 5 4 3 2 1 10 11 12 13 14 15 25
As you can see based on the previous output, we have created a vector object called my_vec1 that contains all values of our input list.
Example 2: Convert List of Vectors to Single Vector Using Reduce() & c() Functions
This example shows how to use the Reduce & c functions to unlist our data.
Have a look at the following R code:
my_vec2 <- Reduce(c, my_list) # Apply Reduce() function my_vec2 # Print vector # [1] 5 4 3 2 1 10 11 12 13 14 15 25
The result is exactly the same as in Example 1. So whether you want to use the unlist function or the Reduce and c functions is a matter of taste!
Video & Further Resources
Would you like to know more about the convert a list of vectors to a single vector object? Then you may watch the following video which I have published on my YouTube channel. In the video, I’m explaining the topics of this page in a live session.
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In addition, you may read the other tutorials on my homepage. Please find a selection of related tutorials on topics such as data conversion, vectors, lists, and character strings below.
- Convert List of Vectors to Data Frame in R
- Concatenate Vector of Character Strings
- Convert Vector to List in R
- Create List of Vectors in R
- R Programming Tutorials
In summary: In this article you have learned how to transform several vectors in a list to a single vector in the R programming language. Please let me know in the comments section below, if you have additional questions.
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