\HeaderA{read.epiinfo}{Read Epi Info data files}{read.epiinfo}
\keyword{file}{read.epiinfo}
\begin{Description}\relax
Reads data files in the \code{.REC} format used by Epi Info versions 6
and earlier and by EpiData.  Epi Info is a public domain database and
statistics package produced by the US Centers for Disease Control
and EpiData is a freely available data entry and validation system.
\end{Description}
\begin{Usage}
\begin{verbatim}
read.epiinfo(file, read.deleted = FALSE, guess.broken.dates = FALSE,
             thisyear = NULL, lower.case.names = FALSE)
\end{verbatim}
\end{Usage}
\begin{Arguments}
\begin{ldescription}
\item[\code{file}] A filename, URL, or connnection.
\item[\code{read.deleted}] Deleted records are read if \code{TRUE}, omitted
if \code{FALSE} or replaced with \code{NA} if \code{NA}.
\item[\code{guess.broken.dates}] Attempt to convert dates with 0 or 2 digit
year information (see Details below).
\item[\code{thisyear}] A 4-digit year to use for dates with no year. Defaults
to the current year.
\item[\code{lower.case.names}] Convert variable names to lowercase?
\end{ldescription}
\end{Arguments}
\begin{Details}\relax
Epi Info allows dates to be specified with no year or with a 2 or 4
digits.  Dates with four-digit years are always converted to
\code{Date} class.  With the \code{guess.broken.dates} option the function
will attempt to convert two-digit years using the operating system's
default method (see \LinkA{Date}{Date}) and will use the current
year or the \code{thisyear} argument for dates with no year
information.

If \code{read.deleted} is \code{TRUE} the \code{"deleted"} attribute
of the data frame indicates the deleted records.
\end{Details}
\begin{Value}
A data frame.
\end{Value}
\begin{Note}\relax
Epi Info 2000, the current version, uses the Microsoft Access file
format to store data. This may be readable with the \code{RODBC} or
\code{RDCOM} packages.
\end{Note}
\begin{References}\relax
\url{http://www.cdc.gov/epiinfo/},
\url{http://www.epidata.dk}
\end{References}
\begin{SeeAlso}\relax
\LinkA{DateTimeClasses}{DateTimeClasses}
\end{SeeAlso}
\begin{Examples}
\begin{ExampleCode}
## Not run: 
data<-read.epiinfo("oswego.rec",guess.broken.dates=TRUE,thisyear="1972")
## End(Not run)
\end{ExampleCode}
\end{Examples}

