Programming with R

• Conditionals: using if and else statements in R
• Functions: what a function is, how are they used, and how can we construct our own functions.
• Looping in R: an introduction to the concept of looping in R. In particular for and while loops.
• Help: The help system in R can at first glance appear daunting, however, after the initial shock, R’s documentation is second to none.
• Project structure: Practical tips on how to structure a project.

Session 1:

By the end of the session 1 participants will…

• understand basic functions, multiple arguments and variable scopes.
• have a thorough understanding for loops.
• be able to apply basic functions.

Session 2:

By the end of the session 2 participants will…

• have a thorough understanding of conditionals such as if, else and else if statements.
• be familiar with possible R workflows such as directory structure and working with directories.
• understand how the aforementioned techniques can be applied to their own data.
• understand how these techniques will improve efficiency and results.
• understand where to find help in R using resources and the help() function.

This course does not include:

• Much detail on using the {tidyverse} to manipulate and clean data, for this see the Data Wrangling with Tidyverse course run by Jumping Rivers.

The course follows on from the Introduction to R course. It is assumed that all students have attended this course (or have equivalent skills). This course is suitable for all fields of work. Previous attendees include biologists, statisticians, accountants, engineers & students, i.e., anyone who uses a spreadsheet!