rbind_uneven_columns.R

# rbind uneven columns
# dummy data
x <- data.frame(name = "alice", 
                date = 1,
                time = 3)
y <- data.frame(name = "bob",
                time = 2)

print(x)
print(y)

# Usually there will be a dataframe with all required columns. So we just make 
# the new dataframe have NA's where the required columns don't exist. You can
# also create a vector of all columns required as is the case here.

# Create the list of columns your end dataframe should have.
list_of_cols <- c("name", "rank", "date", "time")

add_missing_cols <- function(x, list) {
  x[setdiff(list, names(x))] <- NA
  return(x)
}

x <- add_missing_cols(x, list_of_cols)
y <- add_missing_cols(y, list_of_cols)

# rbind them.
xy <- rbind(x, y)
print(xy)