An overview of readODS

Chung-hong Chan 1

library(readODS)

You probably only need to use two functions from this package: read_ods and write_ods.

Write the data PlantGrowth as a new file plant.ods

write_ods(PlantGrowth, "plant.ods")

You can then read it back from plant.ods

read_ods("plant.ods")
#>    weight group
#> 1    4.17  ctrl
#> 2    5.58  ctrl
#> 3    5.18  ctrl
#> 4    6.11  ctrl
#> 5    4.50  ctrl
#> 6    4.61  ctrl
#> 7    5.17  ctrl
#> 8    4.53  ctrl
#> 9    5.33  ctrl
#> 10   5.14  ctrl
#> 11   4.81  trt1
#> 12   4.17  trt1
#> 13   4.41  trt1
#> 14   3.59  trt1
#> 15   5.87  trt1
#> 16   3.83  trt1
#> 17   6.03  trt1
#> 18   4.89  trt1
#> 19   4.32  trt1
#> 20   4.69  trt1
#> 21   6.31  trt2
#> 22   5.12  trt2
#> 23   5.54  trt2
#> 24   5.50  trt2
#> 25   5.37  trt2
#> 26   5.29  trt2
#> 27   4.92  trt2
#> 28   6.15  trt2
#> 29   5.80  trt2
#> 30   5.26  trt2

Update and Append

You can append another sheet into an existing ods file with the sheet name being “mtcars_ods”.

write_ods(mtcars, "plant.ods", sheet = "mtcars_ods", append = TRUE)

Read from a specific sheet. Notice row names are missing.

read_ods("plant.ods", sheet = "mtcars_ods")
#>     mpg cyl  disp  hp drat    wt  qsec vs am gear carb
#> 1  21.0   6 160.0 110 3.90 2.620 16.46  0  1    4    4
#> 2  21.0   6 160.0 110 3.90 2.875 17.02  0  1    4    4
#> 3  22.8   4 108.0  93 3.85 2.320 18.61  1  1    4    1
#> 4  21.4   6 258.0 110 3.08 3.215 19.44  1  0    3    1
#> 5  18.7   8 360.0 175 3.15 3.440 17.02  0  0    3    2
#> 6  18.1   6 225.0 105 2.76 3.460 20.22  1  0    3    1
#> 7  14.3   8 360.0 245 3.21 3.570 15.84  0  0    3    4
#> 8  24.4   4 146.7  62 3.69 3.190 20.00  1  0    4    2
#> 9  22.8   4 140.8  95 3.92 3.150 22.90  1  0    4    2
#> 10 19.2   6 167.6 123 3.92 3.440 18.30  1  0    4    4
#> 11 17.8   6 167.6 123 3.92 3.440 18.90  1  0    4    4
#> 12 16.4   8 275.8 180 3.07 4.070 17.40  0  0    3    3
#> 13 17.3   8 275.8 180 3.07 3.730 17.60  0  0    3    3
#> 14 15.2   8 275.8 180 3.07 3.780 18.00  0  0    3    3
#> 15 10.4   8 472.0 205 2.93 5.250 17.98  0  0    3    4
#> 16 10.4   8 460.0 215 3.00 5.424 17.82  0  0    3    4
#> 17 14.7   8 440.0 230 3.23 5.345 17.42  0  0    3    4
#> 18 32.4   4  78.7  66 4.08 2.200 19.47  1  1    4    1
#> 19 30.4   4  75.7  52 4.93 1.615 18.52  1  1    4    2
#> 20 33.9   4  71.1  65 4.22 1.835 19.90  1  1    4    1
#> 21 21.5   4 120.1  97 3.70 2.465 20.01  1  0    3    1
#> 22 15.5   8 318.0 150 2.76 3.520 16.87  0  0    3    2
#> 23 15.2   8 304.0 150 3.15 3.435 17.30  0  0    3    2
#> 24 13.3   8 350.0 245 3.73 3.840 15.41  0  0    3    4
#> 25 19.2   8 400.0 175 3.08 3.845 17.05  0  0    3    2
#> 26 27.3   4  79.0  66 4.08 1.935 18.90  1  1    4    1
#> 27 26.0   4 120.3  91 4.43 2.140 16.70  0  1    5    2
#> 28 30.4   4  95.1 113 3.77 1.513 16.90  1  1    5    2
#> 29 15.8   8 351.0 264 4.22 3.170 14.50  0  1    5    4
#> 30 19.7   6 145.0 175 3.62 2.770 15.50  0  1    5    6
#> 31 15.0   8 301.0 335 3.54 3.570 14.60  0  1    5    8
#> 32 21.4   4 121.0 109 4.11 2.780 18.60  1  1    4    2

You can also integer for sheet, e.g. 2 for the second sheet.

read_ods("plant.ods", sheet = 2)
#>     mpg cyl  disp  hp drat    wt  qsec vs am gear carb
#> 1  21.0   6 160.0 110 3.90 2.620 16.46  0  1    4    4
#> 2  21.0   6 160.0 110 3.90 2.875 17.02  0  1    4    4
#> 3  22.8   4 108.0  93 3.85 2.320 18.61  1  1    4    1
#> 4  21.4   6 258.0 110 3.08 3.215 19.44  1  0    3    1
#> 5  18.7   8 360.0 175 3.15 3.440 17.02  0  0    3    2
#> 6  18.1   6 225.0 105 2.76 3.460 20.22  1  0    3    1
#> 7  14.3   8 360.0 245 3.21 3.570 15.84  0  0    3    4
#> 8  24.4   4 146.7  62 3.69 3.190 20.00  1  0    4    2
#> 9  22.8   4 140.8  95 3.92 3.150 22.90  1  0    4    2
#> 10 19.2   6 167.6 123 3.92 3.440 18.30  1  0    4    4
#> 11 17.8   6 167.6 123 3.92 3.440 18.90  1  0    4    4
#> 12 16.4   8 275.8 180 3.07 4.070 17.40  0  0    3    3
#> 13 17.3   8 275.8 180 3.07 3.730 17.60  0  0    3    3
#> 14 15.2   8 275.8 180 3.07 3.780 18.00  0  0    3    3
#> 15 10.4   8 472.0 205 2.93 5.250 17.98  0  0    3    4
#> 16 10.4   8 460.0 215 3.00 5.424 17.82  0  0    3    4
#> 17 14.7   8 440.0 230 3.23 5.345 17.42  0  0    3    4
#> 18 32.4   4  78.7  66 4.08 2.200 19.47  1  1    4    1
#> 19 30.4   4  75.7  52 4.93 1.615 18.52  1  1    4    2
#> 20 33.9   4  71.1  65 4.22 1.835 19.90  1  1    4    1
#> 21 21.5   4 120.1  97 3.70 2.465 20.01  1  0    3    1
#> 22 15.5   8 318.0 150 2.76 3.520 16.87  0  0    3    2
#> 23 15.2   8 304.0 150 3.15 3.435 17.30  0  0    3    2
#> 24 13.3   8 350.0 245 3.73 3.840 15.41  0  0    3    4
#> 25 19.2   8 400.0 175 3.08 3.845 17.05  0  0    3    2
#> 26 27.3   4  79.0  66 4.08 1.935 18.90  1  1    4    1
#> 27 26.0   4 120.3  91 4.43 2.140 16.70  0  1    5    2
#> 28 30.4   4  95.1 113 3.77 1.513 16.90  1  1    5    2
#> 29 15.8   8 351.0 264 4.22 3.170 14.50  0  1    5    4
#> 30 19.7   6 145.0 175 3.62 2.770 15.50  0  1    5    6
#> 31 15.0   8 301.0 335 3.54 3.570 14.60  0  1    5    8
#> 32 21.4   4 121.0 109 4.11 2.780 18.60  1  1    4    2

Update an existing sheet and preserve row names

write_ods(mtcars, "plant.ods", sheet = "mtcars_ods", update = TRUE, row_names = TRUE)

Notice the information from the sheet mtcars_ods is updated.

read_ods("plant.ods", sheet = "mtcars_ods")
#> Warning: Missing column names filled in: 'X1' [1]
#>                     NA  mpg cyl  disp  hp drat    wt  qsec vs am gear carb
#> 1            Mazda RX4 21.0   6 160.0 110 3.90 2.620 16.46  0  1    4    4
#> 2        Mazda RX4 Wag 21.0   6 160.0 110 3.90 2.875 17.02  0  1    4    4
#> 3           Datsun 710 22.8   4 108.0  93 3.85 2.320 18.61  1  1    4    1
#> 4       Hornet 4 Drive 21.4   6 258.0 110 3.08 3.215 19.44  1  0    3    1
#> 5    Hornet Sportabout 18.7   8 360.0 175 3.15 3.440 17.02  0  0    3    2
#> 6              Valiant 18.1   6 225.0 105 2.76 3.460 20.22  1  0    3    1
#> 7           Duster 360 14.3   8 360.0 245 3.21 3.570 15.84  0  0    3    4
#> 8            Merc 240D 24.4   4 146.7  62 3.69 3.190 20.00  1  0    4    2
#> 9             Merc 230 22.8   4 140.8  95 3.92 3.150 22.90  1  0    4    2
#> 10            Merc 280 19.2   6 167.6 123 3.92 3.440 18.30  1  0    4    4
#> 11           Merc 280C 17.8   6 167.6 123 3.92 3.440 18.90  1  0    4    4
#> 12          Merc 450SE 16.4   8 275.8 180 3.07 4.070 17.40  0  0    3    3
#> 13          Merc 450SL 17.3   8 275.8 180 3.07 3.730 17.60  0  0    3    3
#> 14         Merc 450SLC 15.2   8 275.8 180 3.07 3.780 18.00  0  0    3    3
#> 15  Cadillac Fleetwood 10.4   8 472.0 205 2.93 5.250 17.98  0  0    3    4
#> 16 Lincoln Continental 10.4   8 460.0 215 3.00 5.424 17.82  0  0    3    4
#> 17   Chrysler Imperial 14.7   8 440.0 230 3.23 5.345 17.42  0  0    3    4
#> 18            Fiat 128 32.4   4  78.7  66 4.08 2.200 19.47  1  1    4    1
#> 19         Honda Civic 30.4   4  75.7  52 4.93 1.615 18.52  1  1    4    2
#> 20      Toyota Corolla 33.9   4  71.1  65 4.22 1.835 19.90  1  1    4    1
#> 21       Toyota Corona 21.5   4 120.1  97 3.70 2.465 20.01  1  0    3    1
#> 22    Dodge Challenger 15.5   8 318.0 150 2.76 3.520 16.87  0  0    3    2
#> 23         AMC Javelin 15.2   8 304.0 150 3.15 3.435 17.30  0  0    3    2
#> 24          Camaro Z28 13.3   8 350.0 245 3.73 3.840 15.41  0  0    3    4
#> 25    Pontiac Firebird 19.2   8 400.0 175 3.08 3.845 17.05  0  0    3    2
#> 26           Fiat X1-9 27.3   4  79.0  66 4.08 1.935 18.90  1  1    4    1
#> 27       Porsche 914-2 26.0   4 120.3  91 4.43 2.140 16.70  0  1    5    2
#> 28        Lotus Europa 30.4   4  95.1 113 3.77 1.513 16.90  1  1    5    2
#> 29      Ford Pantera L 15.8   8 351.0 264 4.22 3.170 14.50  0  1    5    4
#> 30        Ferrari Dino 19.7   6 145.0 175 3.62 2.770 15.50  0  1    5    6
#> 31       Maserati Bora 15.0   8 301.0 335 3.54 3.570 14.60  0  1    5    8
#> 32          Volvo 142E 21.4   4 121.0 109 4.11 2.780 18.60  1  1    4    2

Read from a specific range

read_ods("plant.ods", sheet = "mtcars_ods", range = "A1:C10")
#> Warning: Missing column names filled in: 'X1' [1]
#>                  NA  mpg cyl
#> 1         Mazda RX4 21.0   6
#> 2     Mazda RX4 Wag 21.0   6
#> 3        Datsun 710 22.8   4
#> 4    Hornet 4 Drive 21.4   6
#> 5 Hornet Sportabout 18.7   8
#> 6           Valiant 18.1   6
#> 7        Duster 360 14.3   8
#> 8         Merc 240D 24.4   4
#> 9          Merc 230 22.8   4

You cannot append to an existing sheet.

write_ods(iris, "plant.ods", sheet = "mtcars_ods", append = TRUE)
#> Error in tryCatchList(expr, classes, parentenv, handlers): Sheet mtcars_ods exists. Set update to TRUE is you want to update this sheet.

You cannot update a missing sheet.

write_ods(iris, "plant.ods", sheet = "iris", update = TRUE)
#> Error in tryCatchList(expr, classes, parentenv, handlers): Sheet iris does not exist. Cannot update.

  1. University of Mannheim↩︎