Basics
- Readability is important
-
E.g.,
My name is Ethan. I am 36 years old.
MYnameIS ETHAN………………. I_AM_36 years OLD
- Follow basic rules that make things readable
- Using the same style consistently
- Use the same style as others
- Style Guide
Whitespace
- Indentation what the brain recognizes, use it regardless of language (and braces)
- 2 space indents
stuff <- data %>%
filter() %>%
select()
things <- 2
stuff <- data %>%
filter() %>%
select()
things <- 2
- Spaces after commas and around operators
range(x, x + 10)
Naming
- snake_case
- Descriptive:
estimate_biomass - Not too long:
estimate_biomass_using_hanson_method - Use whole words for accessibility
Long lines
- Lines < 80 characters long
- Add an indicator for this in RStudio
- Tools -> Global Options -> Code -> Display -> Show Margin
- Use implied line continuation
- If it’s clear that a line isn’t finished R will go on to the next line
site_data <- data.frame(
site_id = c(1, 2, 3, 4),
type = c('control', 'control', 'experiment', 'experiment')
)
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