R Language Tutorial
R language is a mathematical programming language designed for researchers in the field of mathematics, primarily used for statistical analysis, data visualization, and data mining.
If you are a beginner in computer programming and eager to learn general-purpose programming, R language is not an ideal choice. You might consider Python, C, or Java instead.
Both R and C languages are research outcomes from Bell Labs, but they have different focus areas. R language is an interpreted language aimed at mathematicians and theoretical researchers, while C language is designed for computer software engineers.
R language is an interpreted language (unlike C language, which is compiled), and its execution speed is much slower than C language, making it less suitable for optimization. However, it offers richer data structure operations at the syntax level and allows for convenient text and graphical output, which is why it is widely used in mathematics, especially in the field of statistics.
Official R language website: https://cran.r-project.org/
List of official mirror sites: https://cran.r-project.org/mirrors.html
Who is this tutorial for?
This tutorial is tailored for software programmers who need to learn R language from scratch.
If you are an experienced R language user, you may still find this tutorial useful for syntax reference, although it may not address deeper issues you encounter.
Features of R language
- R language environment software is a GNU open-source software, offering good compatibility and free usage.
- The syntax is highly conducive to complex mathematical operations.
- It has a rich set of data types, including vectors, matrices, factors, and datasets.
- The code style is good, making it highly readable.
Although R is mainly used for statistical analysis or developing statistical software, it is also used for matrix computation. Its analysis speed is comparable to specialized free software like GNU Octave and commercial software like MATLAB.
Compiling/Executing R Programs
Example (helloworld.R)
myString <- "Hello, World!"
print ( myString )
R language files have the .R extension.
Reference Materials
- Official R language website: https://cran.r-project.org/
- R language manual: https://cran.r-project.org/manuals.html