Overview of R, or wizaRds vs muggles

Simon Queenborough

FES720: Introduction to R

Plan for Today

  1. Introductions

  2. Overview of Syllabus

  3. Overview of R

Introducing: Simon & Andrew

Look, you can even work on R in the rain forest …

Overview of Syllabus

Overview of R

Don't worry, it will be ok

R programming language is a lot like magic…

… well, a little bit

Use it wisely, and use it well

R users are (like) wizards!

  • R functions = spells
  • Spells are free

  • Experienced wizaRds can:

    • Create your own spells
    • Spells can change your environment

SPSS, SAS, JMP, (etc …) users are like muggles

How did they do that?!

  • Unable to change environment
  • Rely on others for spells
  • Have to pay ($)
  • Environment is constrained by SPSS, etc.

Excel is worse …

  • Functions do random things
  • Errors contained within spells
  • No spellbook to see what is going on

What is R?

eh?

R in an intepreted computer language

  • “interpreted” = runs line by line
  • “compiled” = write program, run entire progam (C, FORTRAN)

R in an intepreted computer language

  • Most functions written in R
  • Can interface with other (compiled) languages (C, C+, Fortran, etc)
  • Can access system commands (i.e., interact directly with OS)

History of R

  • S: language for data analysis developed at Bell Labs, circa 1976
  • Licensed as S-plus.
  • R: open source implementation of S in 90s
  • Since 1997:
    • international R-core team ~15 people
    • 1000s of code writers and statisticians happy to share their libraries!
    • RStudio, REvolutions, etc.

Advantages of R

  • Fast and free
  • State of the art
  • Active user community
  • Excellent graphics
  • Interfaces with database storage software (SQL)
  • Excellent for simulation, programming, computer intensive analyses, etc.
  • Forces you to think about your work

Disadvantages of R

  • Forces you to think about your work
  • Not user friendly @ start
  • Some commercial support
  • Easy to make mistakes and not know
  • Data prep & cleaning
  • Some users complain about hostility on the R listserve

R help listserv

library(fortunes)
fortune()

I believe functions should do what they say on the box (and the help page), and not what some user hopes they might do by mind-reading. – Brian D. Ripley R-help (November 2004)

Learning R

What just happened ..?!

R vs the World

  • Many different datasets (and other “objects”) available at same time
  • Datasets can be of any dimension
  • Functions can be modified
  • Experience is interactive–you program until you get exactly what you want
  • One stop shopping–almost every analytical tool you can think of is available
  • R is free and will continue to exist. Nothing can make it go away, its price will never increase.

The World (a.k.a. Commercial software)

  • One dataset available at a given time
  • Datasets are rectangular
  • Functions are proprietary
  • Experience is passive
    • you choose an analysis and they give you everything they think you need
  • Tend to be have limited scope, forcing you to learn additional programs
    • extra options cost more and/or require you to learn a different language (e.g., SPSS Macros)
  • They cost money.
    • There is no guarantee they will continue to exist, but if they do, you can bet that their prices will always increase

R is unlimited

  • Probably >1,000 packages
  • Write your own!

That sounds awesome!

R can be used for …

That's a lot of wordle

Final Words of Warning …

Using R is a bit akin to smoking.

The beginning is difficult, one may get headaches and even gag the first few times.

But in the long run, it becomes pleasurable and even addictive.

Yet, deep down, for those willing to be honest, there is something not fully healthy in it.

–Francois Pinard