R Read and Write Binary Files

Introduction

Reading from and writing to binary files is essential when working with non-text data or when efficiency and space-saving are crucial. In R, you can handle binary files using the readBin() and writeBin() functions. These functions allow you to read and write binary data efficiently.

Reading Binary Files

You can read binary files in R using the readBin() function. This function reads binary data from a connection or file and returns it in a specified format.

Example: Reading a Binary File

Example:

# Writing sample binary data to a file for demonstration purposes
fileConn <- file("sample_binary.bin", "wb")
data <- c(1L, 2L, 3L, 4L, 5L)
writeBin(data, fileConn)
close(fileConn)

# Reading the binary file
fileConn <- file("sample_binary.bin", "rb")
binary_data <- readBin(fileConn, what = integer(), n = 5)
close(fileConn)

# Printing the binary data
print(binary_data)

Parameters of `readBin()`

con: A connection object or a character string naming a file to read from.
what: The type of data to read (e.g., integer(), numeric(), character(), etc.).
n: The number of items to read.
size: The size of each item in bytes (optional).
signed: Logical indicating if the data is signed (optional).

Writing Binary Files

You can write binary files in R using the writeBin() function. This function writes binary data to a connection or file.

Example: Writing to a Binary File

Example:

# Creating data to write to the binary file
data <- c(10L, 20L, 30L, 40L, 50L)

# Writing the data to a binary file
fileConn <- file("output_binary.bin", "wb")
writeBin(data, fileConn)
close(fileConn)

Parameters of `writeBin()`

object: The data to write.
con: A connection object or a character string naming a file to write to.
size: The size of each item in bytes (optional).

Example Program Using Binary Files

Here is an example program that demonstrates the reading and writing of binary files in R using the readBin() and writeBin() functions.

Example Program

# R Program to Demonstrate Reading and Writing Binary Files

# Creating data to write to the binary file
data_to_write <- c(10L, 20L, 30L, 40L, 50L)

# Writing the data to a binary file with writeBin()
fileConn <- file("output_binary.bin", "wb")
writeBin(data_to_write, fileConn)
close(fileConn)
print("Data written to output_binary.bin using writeBin()")

# Reading the binary file with readBin()
fileConn <- file("output_binary.bin", "rb")
binary_data_read <- readBin(fileConn, what = integer(), n = 5)
close(fileConn)
print("Data read from output_binary.bin using readBin()")
print(binary_data_read)

Conclusion

In this chapter, you learned how to read from and write to binary files in R using the readBin() and writeBin() functions. Binary files are essential for handling non-text data efficiently and are useful when dealing with raw data or when performance and space-saving are critical. By mastering these functions, you can effectively manage binary data in your R programs.