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foverlaps throws cryptic error when provided factors #2645
Description
The foverlaps() function can only work with interval columns that are numeric (integer, double, integer64).
When trying foverlaps() with character interval columns you get an error message telling you this:
# Provided non numeric data, foverlaps throws a sensible error:
X <- data.table(id=1, start="a", end="d")
Y <- data.table(id=2, start="b", end="e")
setkey(X, start, end)
setkey(Y, start, end)
foverlaps(X , Y)# Error in foverlaps(X, Y) :
# The last two columns in by.x should correspond to the 'start' and 'end' intervals
# in data.table 'x' and must be integer/numeric type.When trying with a factor, you get a cryptic error message:
# The same, but coded as a factor
lf <- factor(letters)
X <- data.table(id=1, start=lf[1], end=lf[4])
Y <- data.table(id=2, start=lf[2], end=lf[5])
setkey(X, start, end)
setkey(Y, start, end)
foverlaps(X, Y)# Error in if (any(x[[xintervals[2L]]] - x[[xintervals[1L]]] < 0L)) stop("All entries
# in column ", :
# missing value where TRUE/FALSE needed
# In addition: Warning message:
# In Ops.factor(x[[xintervals[2L]]], x[[xintervals[1L]]]) :
# ‘-’ not meaningful for factorsThe same is true if (for whatever reason) you have numeric interval columns coded as factors:
# Numeric factors also have this problem:
nf <- factor(sort(rnorm(10)))
X <- data.table(id=1, start=nf[1], end=nf[4])
Y <- data.table(id=2, start=nf[2], end=nf[5])
setkey(X, start, end)
setkey(Y, start, end)
foverlaps(X, Y)# Error in if (any(x[[xintervals[2L]]] - x[[xintervals[1L]]] < 0L)) stop("All entries
# in column ", :
# missing value where TRUE/FALSE needed
# In addition: Warning message:
# In Ops.factor(x[[xintervals[2L]]], x[[xintervals[1L]]]) :
# ‘-’ not meaningful for factorsIn these cases, the foverlaps() function should throw the first error message stating that it cannot work with factors
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