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Parse range notation from variable_details

Source: R/mockdata-parsers.R
parse_range_notation.Rd

Parses recodeflow-standard range notation strings from variable_details.csv (recodes column) into structured data for mock data generation. Supports integer ranges, continuous ranges, special codes, and function calls.

Usage

parse_range_notation(range_string, range_type = "auto", expand_integers = TRUE)

Arguments

range_string

Character string containing range notation

range_type

Character. One of:

  • "auto" (default): Auto-detect based on bracket notation and decimal values

  • "integer": Force integer range interpretation (generates sequence)

  • "continuous": Force continuous range interpretation

expand_integers

Logical. If TRUE and range_type is "integer", returns all integers in the range as a vector

Value

For continuous ranges: List with min, max, min_inclusive, max_inclusive For integer ranges: List with min, max, values (if expand_integers=TRUE) Returns NULL if parsing fails

Details

Recodeflow-Standard Range Notation:

These patterns work across all recodeflow projects (CHMS, CCHS, etc.):

  • Integer ranges: [7,9] → integers 7,8,9

  • Continuous ranges: [18.5,25) → 18.5 ≤ x < 25

  • Continuous ranges: [18.5,25] → 18.5 ≤ x ≤ 25

  • Infinity ranges: [30,inf) → x ≥ 30

  • Special codes: NA::a, NA::b, copy, else (passed through unchanged)

  • Function calls: Func::function_name (passed through unchanged)

Mathematical Bracket Notation:

  • [a,b] - Closed interval: a ≤ x ≤ b

  • [a,b) - Half-open interval: a ≤ x < b

  • (a,b] - Half-open interval: a < x ≤ b

  • (a,b) - Open interval: a < x < b

Auto-Detection Logic:

  • Contains decimal values → continuous range

  • Uses mathematical bracket notation [a,b) → continuous range

  • Simple [integer,integer] → integer range (generates sequence)

  • Contains "inf" → continuous range

[a,b)` - Half-open interval: a ≤ x < b

  • `(a,b]: R:a,b)%60%20-%20Half-open%20interval:%20a%20%E2%89%A4%20x%20%3C%20b%0A-%20%60(a,b [integer,integer]: R:integer,integer

Note

Adapted from cchsflow v4.0.0 (2025-07-27) - universal across recodeflow projects

See also

Other parsing-utilities: parse_variable_start()

Examples

# Integer ranges
parse_range_notation("[7,9]")
#> $type
#> [1] "integer"
#> 
#> $min
#> [1] 7
#> 
#> $max
#> [1] 9
#> 
#> $values
#> [1] 7 8 9
#> 
#> $min_inclusive
#> [1] TRUE
#> 
#> $max_inclusive
#> [1] TRUE
#> 
# Returns: list(min=7, max=9, values=c(7,8,9), type="integer")

# Continuous ranges
parse_range_notation("[18.5,25)")
#> $type
#> [1] "continuous"
#> 
#> $min
#> [1] 18.5
#> 
#> $max
#> [1] 25
#> 
#> $min_inclusive
#> [1] TRUE
#> 
#> $max_inclusive
#> [1] FALSE
#> 
# Returns: list(min=18.5, max=25, min_inclusive=TRUE, max_inclusive=FALSE, type="continuous")

parse_range_notation("[30,inf)")
#> $type
#> [1] "continuous"
#> 
#> $min
#> [1] 30
#> 
#> $max
#> [1] Inf
#> 
#> $min_inclusive
#> [1] TRUE
#> 
#> $max_inclusive
#> [1] FALSE
#> 
# Returns: list(min=30, max=Inf, min_inclusive=TRUE, max_inclusive=FALSE, type="continuous")

# Special cases
parse_range_notation("NA::a")   # Returns: list(type="special", value="NA::a")
#> $type
#> [1] "special"
#> 
#> $value
#> [1] "NA::a"
#> 
parse_range_notation("copy")    # Returns: list(type="special", value="copy")
#> $type
#> [1] "special"
#> 
#> $value
#> [1] "copy"
#> 
parse_range_notation("else")    # Returns: list(type="special", value="else")
#> $type
#> [1] "special"
#> 
#> $value
#> [1] "else"
#>