Installing R & RStudio RStudio R Conclusion

R and RStudio
Dr. ZHOU Titi
Division of Social Science
HKUST

SOSC 1100: Quantitative Data Analysis for Social Research I

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Installing R & RStudio RStudio R Conclusion

Plan for Today

! How to install R and RStudio?

! Become familiar with RStudio What we cando
! Become familiar with R
! Do calculations: +, −, ∗, /, ˆ
! Create objects: <-
! Working with vectors: c(), [ ], " ", =, ==
creat ⼩
的 orm

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Installing R & RStudio RStudio R Conclusion

Why R?

! A bad idea to analyze data in a "point and click" spreadsheet (e.g.,

Microsoft Excel).
⼋

J Rcabopeeudeand
! Very limited in terms of what analyses they allow you to do.
! Not facilitate robust and reproducible practices. ,
E7 X
Khem how to Ereate amad use the data
! A very good idea to avoid proprietary software. result
yMath
! While glossy and powerful, they are also very expensive.
! R: open-source, freely available for Windows, Mac and Linux.

! R is highly extensible and flexible.

! Lots of people write their own packages that extent the system, and these
are freely available.
! A lot of advanced textbooks on data analysis nowadays use R. ⇒ Better help
you to become a genuine expert in data analysis.

! As you get better at using R, you’re also learning to program.

! Programming is a core skill in today’s digital era.
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Installing R & RStudio RStudio R Conclusion

Installing R

How to install R?

! Download at http://cran.r-project.org/.

! Separate links for Windows, Mac and Linux users.

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Installing R

To install R on Windows (link)

1 "Download R for Window" to a page that offers a few options:

! Click "install R for the first time" at the top, or "base" to its left
2 On the new page, download the installer program:
! Click the link at the top: something like "Download R-4.2.2 for Windows"
except the "4.2.2" will be replaced by the latest version of R.
3 Run the installer program and step through the installation wizard.
! The default will be suitable for most users, so just click through.
! The wizard will install R into your program files folders and place a shortcut
in your Start menu.
! Make sure you have all of the appropriate administration privileges to install
new software on your computer.

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Installing R

To install R on Mac (link)

1 "Download R for Mac" ⇒ click "R-4.2.2.pkg" to download the installer file.

! Be sure about the version of your operating system: Mac OS X 10.6 (Snow
Leopard) or higher
! If you have an M1 or higher Macs, you may choose to download
"R-4.2.2-arm64.pkg".
2 Run the installer and step through the installation process.
! While you are allowed to customize your installation, just follow the defaults.
! If you Mac requires a password for installing new programs, you need it here.

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Installing R

To install R on Linux (link)

! R comes preinstalled on many Linux systems, but you’ll want the latest
version.
! "Download R for Linux" ⇒ files to build R from source on Debian, Redhat,
SUSE, and Ubuntu systems.
! The installation procedure varies with the Linux system you use.
! CRAN provides separate instructions by grouping each set of source files with
documentation or README files that explain how to install on your system.

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Installing R

Testing R

! Double-click (Windows or Mac)

or type R into the Console (Linux),
you will see R Console.
! Type R commands into the
Console after the command
prompt > | , and press ENTER.

plot(1:10)

! Output: A plot of the numbers 1

to 10 on both the x and y axes

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Installing RStudio

Why RStudio?

! A popular Integrated Development Environment (IDE).

! Like Microsoft Word that helps you write in English, RStudio provides a
user-friendly interface to write in R.
! Incorporate the R Console, a script editor and other useful functionality (e.g.
R markdown and Git Hub integration).
USPDFsshare Your code
! Open-source and freely available
! The interface looks the same for Windows, Mac OS, and Linux, and helps
me match the lecture to your personal experience.
! There are lots of instructions freely available online.

! We will always start by opening RStudio, which will open R by itself.

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Installing RStudio

How to install RStudio?

! Click the "Download RStudio" button at the RStudio website.

! Choose "RStudio Desktop" and click "Download RStudio":
! For Windows and Mac users, you will see the appropriate link for
downloading. If not, scroll down to the "All Installers" section and choose
the link manually.
! For Linux users, scroll down to the "All Installers" section and choose the
appropriate link to download the binary for your system. RStudio for Ubuntu
(and Debian) is available as a *.deb package.

! Once installed, you can open it ( ) like any other program on your
computer.
! Note: you must install R before you install RStudio.

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Updating R and RStudio

How to update R?

! Usually issue updates every six months. Find the latest version to download.

1 One way is to run the R program ( ):

! Go to the "R" menu at the top and click "Check for R Updates".
! R will tell you the current version and whether or not you may need to
download a newer version.

2 In RStudio, type and run sessionInfo() in the R Console.

! The first line it returns shows the version of R that you are using.
! If there is a newer version available, you can then download it at
https://cran.r-project.org/.

! For Windows users, you may need to uninstall R to update it. You can find
a quick guide here.

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Updating R and RStudio

How to update RStudio?

1 Click "Help" on the top menu bar ⇒ click "Check for Updates".

2 Quit RStudio, then visit the RStudio website to download.

3 Install the latest version.

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RStudio orientation

! When you start RStudio for the first time, you’ll see three panels:

! You can customize the location of each pane:

! Click the "Tools" menu at the top ⇒ Global Options ⇒ Pane Layout.
! There are more ways to customize RStudio (link).
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Console

Console

! Just like what we do in application.

! You can type some code at the console (click on the part where the cursor
is > | ) and when you press ENTER, R will run that code.
! If you type 2 + 2 into the Console, you should obtain the answer 4 .

! What does [1] mean? For now, you can think of it as if R were saying "the
answer to the 1st question you asked is 4".
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Console

Formatting in our lecture slides

! In the lecture slides, code and its output will be presented in a way that is
different from what you will see in the Console.
! In your Console, you type after the > , but the code in our slides will not
contain this command prompt.
! In your Console, output appears directly after your code, while in the slides,
it is commented out with ## .

In your Console: In our slides:

> 20 + 5 20 + 5
[1] 25 ## [1] 25

! To let you be able to copy code from the slides directly into R for testing.

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Console

Careful to avoid typos

! R is "stupid" because it cannot handle typos.

! Suppose that you forgot to hit the shift key when trying to type +, and as
result your code ended up being 10 = 20 rather than 10 + 20.

10 = 20
## Error in 10 = 20: invalid (do_set) left-hand side to assignment

! We human know that + and = are on the same key.

! From R’s perspective, 10, 20 and = are all legitimate and this is exactly what
the user meant.
! R can only "discover" that the code is nonsense when it tries to follow your
instruction.

! R is mindlessly obedient and can only do exactly what you ask it to do.
You absolutely must be precise in what you say to R.
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Console

An exception: A bit flexible with spacing

! R ignores redundant spacing: 10+20 is equivalent to 10 + 20

! But not always: e.g., to add space in the middle of the word or the
operator.
! citation() = citation () = citation( ) , but $= citat ion()

citat ion()
## Error: unexpected symbol in "citat ion"

! x<-3 = x <-3 = x<- 3 = x <- 3 $= x < - 3

x < - 3 ## [1] FALSE

! Try to be consistent in writing your code.

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Scripts

Scripts edier
! The Console is great for simple tasks but not for projects with a lot of code.
! R script: a plain text file with a .R file extension
! It stores your lines of R code and allows you to edit. save thecode
! The lines of code are to be sourced into the R Console line by line.
! ALWAYS work from a script file in this class.
! To create a new script, use the menu or the toolbar button as shown below.

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Scripts

Now you have a new window (called the Source pane) in the top left of RStudio.
! The new window is a script editor and where you will write your code.
! The Console is now in the bottom left.

! Once you’ve created a script, give it a name and save it immediately.

! To save the R script either use shortcut ( command+S or ctrl+S ) or click
on File > Save or Save As ...

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Scripts

Three different ways to run your code from a script:

1 One line at a time: Place the cursor on the line you want to run and hit
command+enter / ctrl+enter or use the Run button.

2 Multiple lines: Select the lines you want to run and hit command+enter /
ctrl+enter , or use the Run button.
3 Entire script: Use the Source button.

ctnltF
savefilelcommand 7

clickFile- 7save → .
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Other Windows

Environment/History/Connections ( f: le 仔)
! The "Environment" tab: 7 Save the object
! All the objects (to be discussed later) you have created in the current
(global) environment are displayed here.
! Objects can be displayed as a List ( ) or in Grid ( ) format by
selecting your choice from the drop down button on the top right of the
window.
! In the Grid format, you can remove objects from the environment.
! The "History" tab:
! It contains a list of all the commands you have entered into the R Console.
! You can search back through your history for the line of code you have
forgotten, send selected code back to the Console by double clicking the line.
! We usually never use this as we always refer back to our R script.
! The "Connections" tab:
! It allows you to connect to various data sources such as external databases.
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Other Windows

Files/Plots/Packages/Help/Viewer

! The "Files" tab:

! It lists all external files and directories in the current working directory on
your computer.
! It works like file explorer (Windows) or Finder (Mac). You can open, copy,
rename, move and delete files listed in the window.
! The "Plots" tab:
! All the plots you create in R are displayed here (unless you tell R otherwise).
! : to make the plots large.
! : to scroll back through previously created plots.
! : to export the plots in various file formats (e.g. jpeg, png, pdf, etc.)
! The "Packages" tab:
! Here lists all of the packages that you have installed on your computer.
! You can also install new packages and update existing packages by clicking
on the "Install" ( ) and "Update" buttons ( ) respectively.
! The "Help" tab displays the R help documentation for any function.
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The R Programming Language

! To use R, we need to learn its language

! the R programming language
! R is both the name of the program and the name of the language.

! Learning a programming language is like learning a foreign language.

! not easy
! requires practice
! requires patience

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We will use R to:

1 Do calculations

2 Create objects Yin fotdafa

-

3 Work with vectors

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Doing calculations

1. Do calculations

! We can use R as a calculator.

! R understands arithmetic operators such as +, −, ∗, /.
! Operators: symbols that help us to perform specific mathematical and
logical computations on operands.

operation operator example input example output

addition + 10 + 2 12
subtraction − 9−3 6
multiplication * 5*5 25
division / 10 / 3 3
power ˆ 5ˆ2 25

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Doing calculations

Basic arithmetic operations

! Let’s ask R to calculate 20 plus 5.

1 We type on the R script (upper left window): 20+5
2 To run this code: we highlight it and either
! manually hit the run icon ( ), or
! use the shortcut command+enter in Mac or ctrl+enter in Windows.

5ˆ4
## [1] 625

! R follows the conventional order of operations.

(1 + 2) * 4
## [1] 12

4/2*3
## [1] 6
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Creating objects

2. Create objects ( <- )

! R stores information in the form of objects.

! In order to analyze data, we will need to create objects.
! An object is like a box that can contain anything.

To create one, we need to:

! give it a name
! specify its contents
! use the assignment operator <-

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Creating objects

Assignment operator: <-

! To its left, we specify the name of the object.

! To its right, we specify the content of the object.
! Example: create an object which stores the result of a simple addition.
! To create a new object called my_result:

my_result <- 10 + 4

! To see what’s in my_result, just type:

my_result ## [1] 14

This is equivalent of asking to R: what is inside of my_result?

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Creating objects

Do calculations with objects

! Calculate on an object:
! Both objects appear in the
Environment pane in RStudio.
my_result * 2 ## [1] 28

! Assign the result to a new object:

my_new_result <- my_result * 2

my_new_result ## [1] 28 ! You can use the broom button to
delete all objects.
! In the "Grid" view, you can find a summary of the objects:
! Type: numeric - it’s a number; Length: only one value in the object; Size:
its "physical" size; Value: 14 for my_result, and 28 for my_new_result.

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Creating objects

How to name an object?

A few simple rules to follow when we name objects:

! All object names must start with a letter.
! CANNOT begin with a number.
! Names can contain upper or lower case letters (A-Z, a-z), numbers (0-9),
underscores (_) or a dot (.).
! CANNOT contain spaces or special symbols like $ or % that are reserved for
other purposes.
! Choose names that are descriptive and easy to type.

Good Object Names Bad Object Names

result a
my_result x1
my.result this.name.is.just.too.long
my_new_result thing

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Working with vectors

3. Vectors
! Vector: a set of information contained together in a specific order.
! Normally numbers, but often also character strings or logical elements.

! To create a vector, use c( ), which "concatenates" or "combines" many

values together.
my_first_vector <- c(0, 1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, 21, 34)
my_first_vector
## [1] 0 1 1 2 3 5 8 13 21 34

! Use c( ) to combine multiple vectors:

of
a <- c( 1, 2, 3 )
b <- c( 4, 5, 6 )
to save a
pund
x <- c( a, b ) humber
x
## [1] 1 2 3 4 5 6
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check
Working with vectors
() (

Vector indexing: [ ]
弟年但 number 是什麼
! The order in which the numbers in the vector are stored is important.
! Indexing: to access specific elements of a vector.
! To access an individual element of a vector, use square bracket [ ].
my_first_vector
## [1] 0 1 1 2 3 5 8 13 21 34
my_first_vector[ 3 ]
## [1] 1

! To access multiple elements of a vector via another vector within the [ ].

my_first_vector[ c(1,3,4,5) ]
## [1] 0 1 2 3

element
Cun check pant of the
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Working with vectors

! Use the colon ":" to extract a range of elements of a vector:

my_first_vector
## [1] 0 1 1 2 3 5 8 13 21 34
my_first_vector[ 3:5 ]
## [1] 1 2 3

! Use the minus sign "– " to remove the corresponding element from a vector:
my_first_vector[ - c(8:10) ]
## [1] 0 1 1 2 3 5 8

! Note: none of these operations change the original vector.

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Working with vectors

Other types of vectors: Character strings

" "

! Character string: something like a word or text -

7 must add
! To create an object that stores the word "hello":

greeting <- "hello"

greeting
## [1] "hello"
! Note: Here, R stores the entire word "hello" as a single element.
greeting[1]
## [1] "hello"
! To create a charactor vector – months:
months <- c ( "Jan", "Feb", "Mar", "Apr", "May", "Jun", "Jul",
"Aug", "Sep", "Oct", "Nov", "Dec")
months[2]
## [1] "Feb"
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Working with vectors

! What would happen if you run instead: class <- sosc1100?

class <- sosc1100

## Error: object ’sosc1100’ not found

! Without the " ", R thinks that sosc1100 is the name of an object and R is
right; there is no object called sosc1100 in the environment.

! Running into errors is part of the coding process.

! Do not be discouraged.
! If you have problems figuring out what a particular error means, google it;
there are lots of Q&A sites.
! if that doesn’t help, post the code and error in our Canvas’s Discussion
section.

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Working with vectors

When do we need to use " " when writing code in R?

! No need: The names of objects, names of functions, and names of
arguments as well as special values such as TRUE,FALSE, NA, and
NULL should NOT be in quotes.
! Numbers should NEVER be in quotes unless you want R to treat
them as text.
! All other text should be in quotes.

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Working with vectors

! R will overwrite objects if you assign new content to an existing object

name.
class <- "data analysis"

! After running the code above, class will contain the text "data analysis"
instead of "sosc1100"

! R is case sensitive:
! class is different from Class.

Class
## Error: object ’Class’ not found

! To avoid confusion, we use lower-case letters when naming objects.

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Working with vectors

Other types of vectors: logical elements

! A slogan used by the Big Brother : "2 + 2 = 5" (Orwell’s 1984 )

! While humans may adopt the proposition, R is not infinitely malleable.

2 + 2 == 5
## [1] FALSE check the statemeht
! We use the equality operator == to force R to make a "true/false"
judgment.

! When we force R to believe that 2+2=5 by making an assignment

statement:
2+2=5
Error in 2+2=5: target of assignment expands to non-language object

! Remember, "2+2" is not an object’s name.

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Working with vectors

cnly
貪 savenoinenviunmet

What are the differences between 0

= and <-?
! There are different assignment operators: <-, =, and ->.
! -> is almost identical to <-, just that the arrow (i.e., the
assignment) goes from left to right.
! When creating an object, <- and = are identical.
! An example to compare <- and = in a function:
mean( x = 1 : 10 )
x
Error: object ’x’ not found
! Here, x is declared within the scope of the function, so it does not
exist in the user workspace (not in the Environment pane).
mean( x <- 1 : 10 )
x ## [1] 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
! Here, x is declared in the user workspace (see the Environment pane).

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Working with vectors

! Example of a logical vector:

x <- c( 2, 8, 4, 10, 5, 3, 9)

! To check whether each of the numerical elements is greater than 5:

x>5
## [1] FALSE TRUE FALSE TRUE FALSE FALSE TRUE

sarrtheststeniat
! We can store the output in a vector y:

y <- x>5
y ## [1] 空但的 tiyt

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Installing R & RStudio RStudio R Conclusion

Today’s Lecture
! RStudio: R script, R console, and the environment
! How to use R:
1 Do calculations: +, −, ∗, /, ˆ
2 Create objects: <-,
3 Working with vectors: c(), [ ], " ", =, ==

Class Meeting Next Tuesday

! Review what you learned from this lecture
! Practice R in RStudio
! Before coming to the class, install R and RStudio on your computer:
! R: https://cran.r-project.org/
! RStudio: https://posit.co/products/open-source/rstudio/

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