The meta_table: get, set and an example

The meta_table is the index of every output in a report - one row per table, figure or text item. set_meta_table stores it in the internal cctu environment (after cleaning); get_meta_table returns the stored copy; and meta_table_example is an example data frame showing the expected structure.

Usage

meta_table_example

get_meta_table()

set_meta_table(meta_table)

Format

meta_table_example is a data frame with 10 columns and 3 example rows:

section: Section label to help subdivide a report
title: title of each individual item in a repoert
subtitle: optional subtitle values. Use the empty string if no subtitle wanted.
number: the tem number, to use for link up with attach_pop, write_table, write_ggplot.
population: the name of the population to use for the item. See create_popn_envir.
orientation: takes values "portrait" or "landscape" to determine the page orientation for each item
margin: takes values "normal" or "narrow" to determine the page margin for each item
item: takes values "table", "figure", or far more rarely "text". write_docx will expect there to exist 'table_XX.xml', 'figure_XX.png' or 'text_XX.xml' as appropriate where 'XX' is the number value.
footnote1: optional footnote. Use the empty string if no subtitle wanted.
footnote2: optional footnote. Use the empty string if no subtitle wanted.
fontsize: optional fontsize. Set the font size used in a table in units 1/144 of inch. Defaults to 20 if not set.

Arguments

meta_table: a data.frame to be set as the meta_table internal object

Value

get_meta_table returns the internal object; set_meta_table invisibly returns the previous version; meta_table_example is a data frame.

Details

meta_table_example shows the structure of a meta_table that must exist internally to use attach_pop, write_table, write_ggplot, write_docx. All variables are characters, including 'number'. The variables 'orientation' and 'item' can only take specific values.

Typically one would create raw data using a spreadsheet editor and read it into R. You may add additional columns to help plan and understand what each table or figure will be, and track progress.

See system.file("extdata", "meta_table.xlsx", package = "cctu").

Then you must set it internally using set_meta_table, and possibly examine the contents with get_meta_table.

To preserve troublesome number values '1.10', or '1.1.1', in Excel one can prefix the ' character (to the left of the # key) before the number value.

set_meta_table(NULL) will remove the meta_table.

Functions

get_meta_table(): gets a copy of the internal object
set_meta_table(): sets the internal object to the argument provided, whilst carrying out some cleaning