[R] csv vs. data frame

[Erik Iverson]

Bruce Como wrote:
> Hi,
>  
> I am neither a statistician nor a user of R.  I am a programmer trying to
> provide my users (both statisticians and R users) data in a format that
> works best for them.
>  

It sounds like they would be the best ones to ask then.


> What is a data frame?  Is source data easier to work with in this format or
> a csv file?  Or yet another format?
>  

A data.frame is a class of a certain type of R object.  It is basically
a way to store rectangular data, rows for observations, columns for
variables.

Since R objects exist in memory, you can  write out things like
data.frames to disk with the ?save function, so others can load them
with the ?load function.

I think your users will have to tell you what is easiest for them.