Think back to when you learned to use R.
At first, you learned how to use functions that others created. No need to write your own code to filter your data when someone else has already done this for you.
Later, you wanted to do something specific, so you learned to write your own functions. Maybe you created a custom ggplot theme, and this function helped you make beautiful graphs.
Now you’re working on a new project, and you want to re-use that ggplot theme. How do you get the code into this new project? Sure, you can copy it over, but what about the next project and the one after that? Are you going to keep copying your code every single time?
The way around this problem is to develop your own package. It may sound complicated, but it’s simpler than you think. Packages are just a set of functions bundled together. Developing functions in packages requires you to write code in specific ways, but anyone can get the hang of it with a little bit of help.
And that’s what Package Development with R is designed to do. You’ll learn how to structure your code, create helpful documentation for your functions, and test your functions to make sure they work just right.
It’s often said that, if you copy code more than twice, you should make a function. Here’s a new saying for you: if you copy a function more than twice, you should make a package. And with this course, you’ll learn how to do just that. You can use your package to make your own work more efficient or share it with your team to get everyone on the same page.
No matter what you do with it, learning to make your own R package will make you and those you work with more efficient than you’ve ever been before.
