R/read_in_file.R

In delabj/ACT_FWF_mapping: Read the FWF provided by the ACT for test scores

#' Read in the ACT fixed width file
#'
#' @param file The file path to the file
#' @param year The school year for the mapping
#' @param blanks Boolean option to include the blank columns in the resulting data frame
#' @param scores_only Boolean option to only select scores.
#' @return A data frame containing the data from the fixed width file provided by the ACT
#' @examples
#'
#' #read_ACT(filepath, mapping = "19-20")
read_ACT <- function(file = "fileName", year = "19-20", blanks = F, scores_only = T) {
  df <- get_mapping(year)
  if (!is.data.frame(df)) {
    stop("Given Mapping isn't a dataframe. Have you entered the year correctly?")
  }

  # reads in the file
  temp <- read.fwf(file = file, widths = df$widthsACT, col.names = df$namesACT, comment.char = "")
  # checks to see if blank columns are needed
  if (blanks) {
    return(temp)
  }
  # if not  removes the columns named blank
  temp %>%
    dplyr::select(-(dplyr::starts_with("blank"))) -> temp

  # only grab student names and scores
  if (scores_only) {
    temp %>%
      dplyr::select(lastName, firstName, dateOfBirth, stateID, testDate,
        "composite" = scaleComposite,
        "english" = scaleEnglish,
        "mathmatics" = scaleMath,
        "reading" = scaleReading,
        "science" = scaleScience,
        "writing subscore" = scoreWR
      ) -> temp
  }

  return(temp)
}


#' Select the mapping to use when reading the ACT fixed width file
#'
#' @param year The school year for the mapping
#' @return A data frame containing column names and widths
get_mapping <- function(year = "19-20") {
  switch(year,
    "18-19" = return(actMap18_19), # sep2018-aug2019
    "19-20" = return(actMap19_20), # sep2019-aug2020
    stop("No Mapping found, have you entered the year correctly?") # error catching
  )
  return(NULL)
}