R is a language developed for doing statistical computing and making graphs.
The language is the same as S language, which was developed by Bell Laboratories.
The syntax is almost the same so it can be said that S language code can be easily run in R language without making any changes.
The future scope of the language is very good, as it is getting popular day by day. It is especially good for those who have to provide reports graphically.
The R language provides various statistical and graphical techniques, which include
· Linear and non-linear modeling
· Classical statistical tests
· Time series analysis
· Classification
· Clustering
The main benefit is that it is a free language so people can use it easily without paying anything. The popularity of the language is attracting the job seekers to make their career in it.
The R Certification
There are many institutes that are providing R Certification. Some institutes provide class-based while some provide online certification. There are some institutes that provide certification through both methods.
Another thing is the duration of the course. Some provide short-term while others provide the long-term course. These institutes provide the certification and users can gain knowledge from them.
Long-term courses are better as they teach core as well as object-oriented programming and students can learn most of the things though such course.
Short-term courses are beneficial for those who already know some portion of the language and only need a certificate if it is required for a job. Students can take up the courses as per their choice and requirement and make their career.
Features of R Programming
Here are the reasons to choose R programming which is not only in limelight but even has a high demand industry-wide. Take a rundown:
Operating System Independent
Users can do statistical data analysis through the language. The language has the feature of creating functions, objects, and packages, which can later be used into other codes.
Further, the language R can be used on any operating system so developers can develop code in one OS and run it on another one. Also, users need not buy any license as it is totally free.
Open Source
The language is open source and can be used in any field whether it is finance, marketing, sports or other fields where statistics are needed.
Other languages which can be used to develop statistical data are SAS and SPSS but both of them are private software and if one has to use it, he should buy its license.
Procedural and Object-Oriented Programming
Developers can do both procedural as well as object-oriented programming. In procedural programming, developers can work with functions, records, modules and procedural calls while in object-oriented programming, they can use class, objects, and functions.
Another thing that the users can use are packages which are a collection of various functions in the same unit.
Compiler Not Needed
R language is an interpreted language and is not compiled and that is the reason it can run on any operating system.
Graphs
Developers can create various types of graphs whether it is a linear chart, pie chart, curve, or any other. These graphs can be created by using various R functions.
R is becoming popular among employers
Currently, R has become popular among employers and has become the highest paid jobs. According to some reports, people making their career in R programming are getting much more salary in comparison to other languages.
Handle Complex Data Sets
R language can handle complex data sets and so it is good for making intensive simulations and can be used in high programming computer clusters.
Popularity of R Language
R has become much popular as it is open source and users can create their packages and functions and use them in other programs. The packages already present in R are also Rich in functions and can be easily used. Around 2000 libraries are available in the language for coding.
The R Language Packages
R language has many packages which a developer can use for his code. One challenge is the navigation of the packages and here I am discussing some valuable insights about the packages of R which can help a seeker and expand his knowledge.
Database Connectivity
The packages can be used to connect to databases and read data from them. Here is the list of some of them:
· RMySQL
· RPostgresSQL
· RSQLite
Connect with Microsoft Excel
There are packages with which developers can connect to Microsoft Excel and use its various features to make graphs, calculate data or perform other functions. The packages are:
· XLConnect
· Xlsx
Connect with SAS or SPSS
If a developer wants to insert SAS or SPSS data into their R code, they can use the foreign package for the purpose. Through this package, developers can load data files from SAS or SPSS.
Handling Files
There is no package for handling files but there are some functions which can be used for manipulating files. These functions are
· read.csv
· read.table
· read.fwf
Manipulate Data
There are packages, which can be used to manipulate data. These packages can summarize, rearrange, and join datasets and change the layout of the datasets. Users can also manipulate date and time through lubridate package and play with strings and regular expressions through stringr package. These packages are
· Dplyr
· Tidtr
· Stringr
· Lubridate
Visualizing Data
There are packages which help in visualizing data through graphics. The developers can create graphics and build layered and customizable plots for the same. Besides this, interactive web-based applications can also be created. 3D visualizations and JavaScript-based visualizations can also be developed. These packages are:
· ggplot2
· ggvis
· rgi
· googlevis
Reporting Results
R language can be used to develop interactive web apps. Programmers can also use various packages to generate reports into the form of HTML, pdf, or MS Word document. These packages are
· Shiny
· R Markdown
· Stable
Work with Web
There are packages with which programmers can develop web applications through XML and JSON and for that also packages are available. XML package can be used for XML data while jsonlite can be used for JSON. Httr package can be used for HTTP connections.
Creating Packages
There are tools which a developer can use to create custom packages and use them in his code for various purposes. These tools include
· Devtools
· Testthat
· Roxygen2
Career
After learning R programming and getting certified, developers can get high paying jobs. The various job options that an R programmer can apply for are:
· Data Analyst
· Data Scientist
· Quantitative Analyst
· Financial Analyst
Final Considerations
R programming is easy and users can learn them in order to grow their career. The packages present in the language help the developers to develop web as well as desktop applications.
The web-based applications can be made interactive by using various packages. Users can even use JSON and JavaScript for the purpose.
Besides this, the language provides facilities to connect with databases and extract data from them. So it can be said that people who are taking up this language as a career, are choosing one of the best languages.
