R: Converting multiple binary columns into one factor variable whose factors are binary column names

Question

I am a new R user. Currently I am working on a dataset wherein I have to transform the multiple binary columns into single factor column

Here is the example:

Answer 1

Something different:

Get the data:

dat <- data.frame(Property.RealEstate=c(1,0,1,0,0,0),Property.Insurance=c(0,1,0,1,0,0),Property.CarOther=c(0,0,0,0,1,0),Property.Unknown=c(0,0,0,0,0,1))

Reshape it:

names(dat)[row(t(dat))[t(dat)==1]]
#[1] "Property.RealEstate" "Property.Insurance"  "Property.RealEstate"
#[4] "Property.Insurance"  "Property.CarOther"   "Property.Unknown" 

If you want it cleaned up, do:

gsub("Property\\.","",names(dat)[row(t(dat))[t(dat)==1]])
#[1] "RealEstate" "Insurance"  "RealEstate" "Insurance"  "CarOther"   "Unknown" 

If you prefer a factor output:

factor(row(t(dat))[t(dat)==1],labels=names(dat))

...and cleaned up:

factor(row(t(dat))[t(dat)==1],labels=gsub("Property\\.","",names(dat)) )