Variables in R

In this tutorial, we will learn about variables in R. We will cover the basics of declaring and using variables, including naming conventions.

What are Variables

Variables in R are used to store data values that can be manipulated during program execution. R is a dynamically typed language, meaning the data type of a variable can change at runtime.

Naming Variables

When naming variables in R, follow these conventions:

  • Variable names must start with a letter or a period (.) followed by a letter.
  • Subsequent characters can include letters, digits, periods, and underscores.
  • Variable names are case-sensitive.
  • Avoid using reserved keywords as variable names.
  • Use snake_case or camelCase naming conventions for readability.

Syntax

The syntax to declare variables in R is:

variable_name <- value
# or
variable_name = value

Example 1: Variable storing Integer Value

In R, variables storing integer values hold whole numbers and also negative of the whole numbers, without decimal points.

For example,

  1. Declare an integer variable named num.
  2. Assign a value of 10 to the variable.
  3. Print the value of the variable.

R Program

# Declare and initialize an integer variable
num <- 10
# Print the value of the variable
cat('The value of num is:', num, '\n')

Output

The value of num is: 10

Example 2: Variable storing String Value

In R, variables storing string values hold sequences of characters enclosed in quotes, allowing manipulation and processing of textual data.

For example,

  1. Declare a string variable named name.
  2. Assign the value 'John' to the variable.
  3. Print the value of the variable.

R Program

# Declare and initialize a string variable
name <- 'John'
# Print the value of the variable
cat('The value of name is:', name, '\n')

Output

The value of name is: John

Example 3: Variable storing Boolean Value

In R, variables storing boolean values hold logical values of TRUE or FALSE, useful for conditional statements, logical operations, and program control flow.

For example,

  1. Declare a boolean variable named is_true.
  2. Assign the value TRUE to the variable.
  3. Print the value of the variable.

R Program

# Declare and initialize a boolean variable
is_true <- TRUE
# Print the value of the variable
cat('The value of is_true is:', is_true, '\n')

Output

The value of is_true is: TRUE