st_write with '~' in path gives error

[yeedle]

Providing a path to st_write (on linux) that includes the ~ as a shorthand for the home directory gives an error. st_read doesn't result in the same error.

library(sf)
#> Linking to GEOS 3.5.0, GDAL 2.1.0, proj.4 4.9.2, lwgeom 2.3.2 r15302

nc <- st_read(system.file("shape/nc.shp", package="sf"))
#> Reading layer `nc' from data source `/home/yeedle/R/x86_64-pc-linux-gnu-library/3.4/sf/shape/nc.shp' using driver `ESRI Shapefile'
#> Simple feature collection with 100 features and 14 fields
#> geometry type:  MULTIPOLYGON
#> dimension:      XY
#> bbox:           xmin: -84.32385 ymin: 33.88199 xmax: -75.45698 ymax: 36.58965
#> epsg (SRID):    4267
#> proj4string:    +proj=longlat +datum=NAD27 +no_defs

st_write(nc, '~/nc.geojson')
#> Warning in CPL_write_ogr(obj, dsn, layer, driver,
#> as.character(dataset_options), : GDAL Error 4: Failed to create GeoJSON
#> datasource: ~/nc.geojson.
#> Creating dataset ~/nc.geojson failed.
#> Error in CPL_write_ogr(obj, dsn, layer, driver, as.character(dataset_options), : Creation failed.

st_write(nc, '/home/yeedle/nc.geojson')
#> Writing layer `nc' to data source `/home/yeedle/nc.geojson' using driver `GeoJSON'
#> features:       100
#> fields:         14
#> geometry type:  Multi Polygon

st_read('~/nc.geojson')
#> Reading layer `OGRGeoJSON' from data source `/home/yeedle/nc.geojson' using driver `GeoJSON'
#> Simple feature collection with 100 features and 14 fields
#> geometry type:  MULTIPOLYGON
#> dimension:      XY
#> bbox:           xmin: -84.32385 ymin: 33.88199 xmax: -75.45698 ymax: 36.58965
#> epsg (SRID):    4267
#> proj4string:    +proj=longlat +datum=NAD27 +no_defs

Session info

``` sessionInfo() #> R version 3.4.1 (2017-06-30) #> Platform: x86_64-pc-linux-gnu (64-bit) #> Running under: elementary OS 0.4.1 Loki #> #> Matrix products: default #> BLAS: /usr/lib/libblas/libblas.so.3.6.0 #> LAPACK: /usr/lib/lapack/liblapack.so.3.6.0 #> #> locale: #> [1] LC_CTYPE=en_US.UTF-8 LC_NUMERIC=C #> [3] LC_TIME=en_US.UTF-8 LC_COLLATE=en_US.UTF-8 #> [5] LC_MONETARY=en_US.UTF-8 LC_MESSAGES=en_US.UTF-8 #> [7] LC_PAPER=en_US.UTF-8 LC_NAME=C #> [9] LC_ADDRESS=C LC_TELEPHONE=C #> [11] LC_MEASUREMENT=en_US.UTF-8 LC_IDENTIFICATION=C #> #> attached base packages: #> [1] stats graphics grDevices utils datasets methods base #> #> other attached packages: #> [1] sf_0.5-4 #> #> loaded via a namespace (and not attached): #> [1] Rcpp_0.12.12 digest_0.6.12 rprojroot_1.2 grid_3.4.1 #> [5] DBI_0.7 backports_1.1.0 magrittr_1.5 evaluate_0.10 #> [9] units_0.4-5 stringi_1.1.5 rmarkdown_1.6 tools_3.4.1 #> [13] udunits2_0.13 stringr_1.2.0 yaml_2.1.14 compiler_3.4.1 #> [17] htmltools_0.3.6 knitr_1.16 ```

[edzer]

Indeed, this is linux-only; in addition, st_write's second argument dsn often is not a file, but for instance a database descriptor. Why not play it safe yourself and use

st_write(nc, normalizePath('~/nc.geojson'))

?

[zross]

Hi Edzer, this is a year old but I'm just putting in my two cents. I do think this will be confusing for most users. I'm experienced with the package and yet I just spent 15 minutes problem solving on this one until I found this issue. normalizePath() will not be a function that an average user of the package will be familiar with and they will likely want to use something like "~/junk/myfile.shp" given that this works fine with most writing from R.

[edzer]

Thanks - should work now!

[zross]

Great! I'll give it a try. I think this will help simplify the process for many Mac users.

[mwip]

I still experience this on Arch Linux.

> sessionInfo()
R version 3.5.2 (2018-12-20)
Platform: x86_64-pc-linux-gnu (64-bit)
Running under: Arch Linux

Matrix products: default
BLAS: /usr/lib/libblas.so.3.8.0
LAPACK: /usr/lib/liblapack.so.3.8.0

locale:
 [1] LC_CTYPE=en_US.UTF-8       LC_NUMERIC=C               LC_TIME=en_US.UTF-8        LC_COLLATE=en_US.UTF-8    
 [5] LC_MONETARY=en_US.UTF-8    LC_MESSAGES=en_US.UTF-8    LC_PAPER=en_US.UTF-8       LC_NAME=C                 
 [9] LC_ADDRESS=C               LC_TELEPHONE=C             LC_MEASUREMENT=en_US.UTF-8 LC_IDENTIFICATION=C       

attached base packages:
[1] stats     graphics  grDevices utils     datasets  methods   base     

other attached packages:
[1] dplyr_0.7.8  raster_2.8-4 sp_1.3-1     sf_0.6-3  

[jsta]

@mwip Your sf package version is somewhat old (its from last May). Maybe try upgrading?

[mwip]

@jsta Thanks for the immediate response. Actually forgot to update.

[jimrpy]

@edzer Thanks, this method is quite awesome!