Inspect a scientific data file before import — InspectFile • SciDataReportR

InspectFile() checks common import risks before a file is read into an analysis workflow. It is especially useful for Excel workbooks, where multiple sheets, metadata rows, unnamed columns, duplicate column names, and workbook formatting can change how the data should be interpreted.

Usage

InspectFile(
  path,
  sheet = NULL,
  preview_rows = 20,
  check_styles = TRUE,
  check_sheets = TRUE,
  check_header = TRUE,
  quiet = FALSE
)

Arguments

path: Path to the file.
sheet: Sheet name or index for Excel files. If NULL, the first sheet is inspected.
preview_rows: Number of rows to preview when checking header and column name issues.
check_styles: Logical. For .xlsx files, check whether workbook styles or formatting exist. This can be slower for large workbooks.
check_sheets: Logical. For Excel files, check whether the workbook has multiple sheets.
check_header: Logical. For Excel files, attempt to detect whether the header row is not row 1.
quiet: Logical. If FALSE, print a compact inspection summary.

Value

Invisibly returns a list containing file inspection metadata.

Details

This function does not modify the file or the imported data. It only reports what it finds.