人们使用什么技巧来管理交互式R会话的可用内存?我使用下面的函数[基于Petr Pikal和David Hinds在2004年发布的r-help列表]来列出(和/或排序)最大的对象，并偶尔rm()其中一些对象。但到目前为止最有效的解决办法是……在64位Linux下运行，有充足的内存。
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# improved list of objects
.ls.objects <- function (pos = 1, pattern, order.by,
decreasing=FALSE, head=FALSE, n=5) {
napply <- function(names, fn) sapply(names, function(x)
fn(get(x, pos = pos)))
names <- ls(pos = pos, pattern = pattern)
obj.class <- napply(names, function(x) as.character(class(x))[1])
obj.mode <- napply(names, mode)
obj.type <- ifelse(is.na(obj.class), obj.mode, obj.class)
obj.size <- napply(names, object.size)
obj.dim <- t(napply(names, function(x)
as.numeric(dim(x))[1:2]))
vec <- is.na(obj.dim)[, 1] & (obj.type != "function")
obj.dim[vec, 1] <- napply(names, length)[vec]
out <- data.frame(obj.type, obj.size, obj.dim)
names(out) <- c("Type", "Size", "Rows", "Columns")
if (!missing(order.by))
out <- out[order(out[[order.by]], decreasing=decreasing), ]
if (head)
out <- head(out, n)
out
}
# shorthand
lsos <- function(..., n=10) {
.ls.objects(..., order.by="Size", decreasing=TRUE, head=TRUE, n=n)
}
For both speed and memory purposes, when building a large data frame via some complex series of steps, I'll periodically flush it (the in-progress data set being built) to disk, appending to anything that came before, and then restart it. This way the intermediate steps are only working on smallish data frames (which is good as, e.g., rbind slows down considerably with larger objects). The entire data set can be read back in at the end of the process, when all the intermediate objects have been removed.
dfinal <- NULL
first <- TRUE
tempfile <- "dfinal_temp.csv"
for( i in bigloop ) {
if( !i %% 10000 ) {
print( i, "; flushing to disk..." )
write.table( dfinal, file=tempfile, append=!first, col.names=first )
first <- FALSE
dfinal <- NULL # nuke it
}
# ... complex operations here that add data to 'dfinal' data frame
}
print( "Loop done; flushing to disk and re-reading entire data set..." )
write.table( dfinal, file=tempfile, append=TRUE, col.names=FALSE )
dfinal <- read.table( tempfile )
Tip for dealing with objects requiring heavy intermediate calculation: When using objects that require a lot of heavy calculation and intermediate steps to create, I often find it useful to write a chunk of code with the function to create the object, and then a separate chunk of code that gives me the option either to generate and save the object as an rmd file, or load it externally from an rmd file I have already previously saved. This is especially easy to do in R Markdown using the following code-chunk structure.
```{r Create OBJECT}
COMPLICATED.FUNCTION <- function(...) { Do heavy calculations needing lots of memory;
Output OBJECT; }
```
```{r Generate or load OBJECT}
LOAD <- TRUE
SAVE <- TRUE
#NOTE: Set LOAD to TRUE if you want to load saved file
#NOTE: Set LOAD to FALSE if you want to generate the object from scratch
#NOTE: Set SAVE to TRUE if you want to save the object externally
if(LOAD) {
OBJECT <- readRDS(file = 'MySavedObject.rds')
} else {
OBJECT <- COMPLICATED.FUNCTION(x, y, z)
if (SAVE) { saveRDS(file = 'MySavedObject.rds', object = OBJECT) } }
```
With this code structure, all I need to do is to change LOAD depending on whether I want to generate the object, or load it directly from an existing saved file. (Of course, I have to generate it and save it the first time, but after this I have the option of loading it.) Setting LOAD <- TRUE bypasses use of my complicated function and avoids all of the heavy computation therein. This method still requires enough memory to store the object of interest, but it saves you from having to calculate it each time you run your code. For objects that require a lot of heavy calculation of intermediate steps (e.g., for calculations involving loops over large arrays) this can save a substantial amount of time and computation.
