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R Data Types

Data types in R define the nature of data stored in variables. Understanding R's basic data types is crucial for data analysis and manipulation. R primarily supports the following data types: numeric, integer, character, logical, complex, and raw.

Key Topics

1. Numeric

Numeric data type in R is used for numbers with or without decimals.

# Numeric example
num <- 10.5
print(num)

Output:

[1] 10.5

Code Explanation: The variable num is assigned a numeric value of 10.5. The print() function outputs this value to the console.

2. Integer

Integer data type is used for whole numbers and is specified with an L suffix.

# Integer example
int_val <- 100L
print(int_val)

Output:

[1] 100

Code Explanation: The variable int_val is assigned an integer value of 100, denoted by the L suffix. This ensures the value is treated as an integer.

3. Character

Character data type is used for text or string values.

# Character example
name <- "Rohini"
print(name)

Output:

[1] "Rohini"

Code Explanation: The variable name is assigned the string "Rohini". The print() function displays this string in the console.

4. Logical

Logical data type represents boolean values: TRUE or FALSE.

# Logical example
is_active <- TRUE
print(is_active)

Output:

[1] TRUE

Code Explanation: The variable is_active is assigned the boolean value TRUE. The print() function outputs this boolean value.

5. Complex

Complex data type is used to represent numbers with real and imaginary parts.

# Complex number example
comp <- 3 + 4i
print(comp)

Output:

[1] 3+4i

Code Explanation: The variable comp is assigned a complex number with a real part of 3 and an imaginary part of 4. The print() function displays the complex number.

6. Raw

Raw data type is used to store raw bytes. Useful for binary data.

# Raw data example
raw_val <- charToRaw("Hello")
print(raw_val)

Output:

[1] 48 65 6c 6c 6f

Code Explanation: The function charToRaw() converts the string "Hello" into raw byte format. The print() function displays the raw byte representation.

Key Takeaways

  • R supports different data types for handling various kinds of data.
  • Numeric and integer types are used for numerical data, while character type is for text data.
  • Logical values are used for boolean operations, and complex numbers are supported for mathematical computations.
  • Raw type is used for handling byte data.
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