My R year
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End-of-year posts are corny but, what the heck, I think I can let myself delve in to corniness once a year. The following code gives a snapshot of what and how was R for me in 2012.
outside.packages.2012 <- list(used.the.most = c('asreml', 'ggplot2'),
largest.use.decline = c('MASS', 'lattice'),
same.use = c('MCMCglmm', 'lme4'),
would.like.use.more = 'JAGS')
skill.level <- list(improved = 'fewer loops (plyr and do.call())',
unimproved = c('variable.naming (Still an InConsistent mess)',
'versioning (still hit and miss)'))
interfaces <- list(most.used = c('RStudio', 'plain vanilla R', 'text editor (Textmate and VIM)'),
didnt.use.at.all = 'Emacs')
languages <- list(for.inquisition = c('R', 'Python', 'Javascript'),
revisiting = 'J',
discarded = 'Julia (note to self: revisit in a year)')
(R.2012 <- list(outside.packages.2012,
skill.level,
interfaces,
languages))
# [[1]]
# [[1]]$used.the.most
# [1] "asreml" "ggplot2"
# [[1]]$largest.use.decline
# [1] "MASS" "lattice"
# [[1]]$same.use
# [1] "MCMCglmm" "lme4"
# [[1]]$would.like.use.more
# [1] "JAGS"
# [[2]]
# [[2]]$improved
# [1] "fewer loops (plyr and do.call())"
# [[2]]$unimproved
# [1] "variable.naming (Still an InConsistent mess)"
# [2] "versioning (still hit and miss)"
# [[3]]
# [[3]]$most.used
# [1] "RStudio" "plain vanilla R"
# [3] "text editor (Textmate and VIM)"
# [[3]]$didnt.use.at.all
# [1] "Emacs"
# [[4]]
# [[4]]$for.inquisition
# [1] "R" "Python" "Javascript"
# [[4]]$revisiting
# [1] "J"
# [[4]]$discarded
# [1] "Julia (note to self: revisit in a year)" |
So one can query this over-the-top structure with code like R.2012[[3]]$didnt.use.at.all to learn [1] "Emacs", but you already new that, didn’t you?
Despite all my complaints, monologuing about other languages and overall frustration, R has served me well. It’s just that I’d be disappointed if I were still using it a lot in ten-years time.
Gratuitous picture: building blocks for research (Photo: Luis).
Of course there was a lot more than R and stats this year. For example, the blogs I read most often have nothing to do with either topic: Isomorphismes (can’t define it), The music of sound (sound design), Offsetting behaviour (economics/politics in NZ). In fact, I need reading about a broad range of topics to feel human.
P.S. Incidentally, my favorite R function this year was subset(); I’ve been subsetting like there is no tomorrow. By the way, you are welcome to browse around the blog and subset whatever you like.
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