[R] Running CSV File

[CALUM POLWART]

On Thu, 2 Apr 2026, 09:03 Martin Maechler, <maechler using stat.math.ethz.ch>
wrote:

> >>>>> CALUM POLWART
> >>>>>     on Sun, 29 Mar 2026 10:49:42 +0100 writes:
>
>

>
>     > You may actually find tidyverse easier to work with.
>
> Well, really !?
>
>     > If you are struggling to load data in, I suspect you will.


>     > Tidyverse will *try* to sort datatypes out and defaults to

    > coma and headers
>
> I don't think this was Li DiJulia's problem.
> Finding the correct  'sep' etc. should not be *so* hard
>

No. I didn't mean it will do that, I didn't check the manual for read.csv
to know it's also defaulting the same. I was meaning it might minimise the
code required. But what I meant it will *try* to make numbers number and
dates dates etc. If you haven't managed to make the basic import command
right, you almost certainly won't manage to make the data types correct.

>
> *and* I really think beginners should learn base R before
> starting to delve into using non-standard evaluation (a "feature" of the
> tidyverse)
> everywhere.
>
> Yes, this is just my opinion.
>

And thankfully people are allowed to differ in opinions.

My opinion is it very much depends what you intend to do with R if
understanding base R is actually useful or not.

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