\Header{numeric}{Numeric Vectors}
\alias{as.numeric}{numeric}
\alias{is.numeric}{numeric}
\keyword{classes}{numeric}
\keyword{attribute}{numeric}
\begin{Description}\relax
\code{numeric} creates a real vector of the specified length.  The
elements of the vector are all equal to \code{0}.

\code{as.numeric} attempts to coerce its argument to numeric type
(either integer or real).

\code{is.numeric} returns \code{TRUE} if its argument is of type real
or type integer and \code{FALSE} otherwise.
\end{Description}
\begin{Usage}
\begin{verbatim}
numeric(length = 0)
as.numeric(x, ...)
is.numeric(x)
\end{verbatim}
\end{Usage}
\begin{Arguments}
\begin{ldescription}
\item[\code{length}] desired length.
\item[\code{x}] object to be coerced or tested.
\item[\code{...}] further arguments passed to or from other methods.
\end{ldescription}
\end{Arguments}
\begin{Details}\relax
\code{is.numeric} is  generic: you can write methods to handle
specific classes of objects, see \link{InternalMethods}.

Note that factors are false for \code{is.numeric} but true for
\code{\Link{is.integer}}.
\end{Details}
\begin{Note}\relax
\emph{\R{} has no single precision data type.  All real numbers are
stored in double precision format}. While \code{as.numeric} is a
generic function, user methods must be written for \code{as.double},
which it calls

\code{as.numeric} for factors yields the codes underlying the factor
levels, not the numeric representation of the labels.
\end{Note}
\begin{References}\relax
Becker, R. A., Chambers, J. M. and Wilks, A. R. (1988)
\emph{The New S Language}.
Wadsworth \& Brooks/Cole.
\end{References}
\begin{Examples}
\begin{ExampleCode}
as.numeric(c("-.1"," 2.7 ","B")) # (-0.1, 2.7, NA)  +  warning
as.numeric(factor(5:10))
\end{ExampleCode}
\end{Examples}

