[R] Getting started help

[Mark Difford]

Hi Rthoughts,

Yes, I see now that they truly are (just) Rthoughts;) but take courage, for
we are getting closer (to the start).  You still need to read the basic
documentation, and you will get used to the command line.

What I think you need is a package called Rcmdr.  So, start R using your
desktop icon, click on the Packages menu, then on Install package(s)..., and
then scroll down and choose Rcmdr (you will probably first be asked to
choose a download site). For you the TeachingDemos plugin is a good
additional choice.  Click OK.

Once Rcmdr has been installed, type the following at R's command prompt:

require(Rcmdr)    ## loads Rcmdr and runs it

You can now switch windows between Rcmdr and R.  Again, at the R prompt type
the following commands:

require(datasets)
?datasets
data(ChickWeight)      ## careful: R is case sensitive!
ls()                           ## try ?ls

Now, switch to the Rcmdr window and use the "Data set:" button to load
ChickWeight into Rcmdr's workspace.  Now mess with it; or load another data
set, more to your taste.  Use Rcmdr's Tools menu to load any plugins you
installed.

ls()
str(ChickWeight)        ## try ?str
summary(ChickWeight)
?rm
rm(ChickWeight)
ls()

HTH, Mark.


Rthoughts wrote:
> 
> Hi Mark,
> 
> Thank you for the reply.
> 
> I meant the command prompts to start an R file.
> 
> To be followed on by importint data I can then use to practise the
> software with. The installation did put an icon on teh desktop. I am a
> very skilled user of computers but command lines for many programs is
> something that cna throw me sometimes!
> 
> Regrads, Seb.
> 
> 
> Mark Difford wrote:
>> 
>> Hi Rthoughts,
>> 
>> It isn't clear what you mean.  When you install R, the installation
>> program usually puts an icon on your desktop that you can click on to run
>> the program.  So, if you don't have that, but have installed R, and what
>> you mean is, "How do I start the R program?" or "How do I run R?" then do
>> the following:
>> 
>> Go to the directory where R has been installed.  If necessary, use your
>> file manager to find the file named Rgui.exe.  When you have found it,
>> execute it to start an R session.  (Rgui.exe usually lives in something
>> like: ...\Program Files\R\bin\)
>> 
>> Later you will find out how to set this all up properly.  Usually the
>> installation program does a faultless job.
>> 
>> HTH,
>> Mark.
>> 
>> 
>> Rthoughts wrote:
>>> 
>>> Hi Mark,
>>> 
>>> Thank you for your reply. There is one link I haven't come across, the
>>> last one. I have seen them but I couldn't find where 'how to start R' is
>>> explained for Windows platforms.
>>> 
>>> I will look further into them.
>>> 
>>> As for everyone else who sent e-mails, thank you. I have printed them
>>> out and will look into them.
>>> 
>>> 
>>> Mark Difford wrote:
>>>> 
>>>> Hi Rthoughts,
>>>> 
>>>>>> I am currently discouraged by the use of r. I cannot figure out how
>>>>>> to use it despite
>>>>>> extensive searches. Can anyone help me with getting started? How can
>>>>>> import 
>>>>>> a txt file with series...
>>>> 
>>>> There are piles of documents that you could (and should) read.  I am
>>>> surprised that you haven't found them in your extensive searches.  To
>>>> set your thoughts free, go here:
>>>> 
>>>> http://www.r-project.org/
>>>> http://cran.r-project.org/manuals.html    ## read the first one, and
>>>> whatever else you need
>>>> 
>>>> Then click on CRAN, and choose a mirror site (nearby), say:
>>>> http://cran.za.r-project.org/
>>>> 
>>>> Then go:
>>>> http://cran.za.r-project.org/other-docs.html
>>>> 
>>>> and start at the top.
>>>> 
>>>> HTH,
>>>> Mark.
>>>> 
>>>> PS: It might help you in your future enquiries if you used a real name,
>>>> and if you called R R rather than r (since your keyboard clearly
>>>> doesn't have a broken R ;).
>>>> 
>>>> 
>>>> 
>>>> Rthoughts wrote:
>>>>> 
>>>>> Hello, I need to learn to use r-software for my PhD research project
>>>>> involving long timelines of radon radiation variations.
>>>>> 
>>>>> I am using windows.
>>>>> 
>>>>> I am currently discouraged by the use of r. I cannot figure out how to
>>>>> use it despite extensive searches. Can anyone help me with getting
>>>>> started? How can import a txt file with series of numbers from the
>>>>> RAD7 machine? How can I open up and set directories with the imported
>>>>> file or to start a new r session?
>>>>> 
>>>>> Thank you so much if you can help.
>>>>> 
>>>> 
>>>> 
>>> 
>>> 
>> 
>> 
> 
> 

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