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Object-Oriented Programming with S3 and R6 in R

Manage the complexity in your code using object-oriented programming with the S3 and R6 systems.

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4 Hours17 Videos55 Exercises14,438 Learners
4200 XP

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Course Description

Object-oriented programming (OOP) lets you specify relationships between functions and the objects that they can act on, helping you manage complexity in your code. This is an intermediate level course, providing an introduction to OOP, using the S3 and R6 systems. S3 is a great day-to-day R programming tool that simplifies some of the functions that you write. R6 is especially useful for industry-specific analyses, working with web APIs, and building GUIs. The course concludes with an interview with Winston Chang, creator of the R6 package.

  1. 1

    Introduction to Object-Oriented Programming

    Free

    Learn what object-oriented programming (OOP) consists of, when to use it, and what OOP systems are available in R. You'll also learn how R identifies different types of variable, using classes, types, and modes.

    Play Chapter Now
    What is Object-Oriented Programming?
    50 xp
    Should I OOP?
    50 xp
    You've Already Been Working With Objects
    100 xp
    The Nine Systems
    50 xp
    Which Systems Should I Use?
    50 xp
    How does R Distinguish Variables?
    50 xp
    What's my type?
    100 xp
    Assigning Classes
    50 xp
    Make it Classy (1)
    100 xp
    Make it Classy (2)
    50 xp
  2. 2

    Using S3

    S3 is a very simple object-oriented system that lets you define different behavior for functions, depending upon their input argument. This chapter explains how to use S3, and how generics and methods work.

    Play Chapter Now
    Generics and Methods or Function Overload
    50 xp
    What's in a Name?
    50 xp
    Creating a Generic Function
    100 xp
    Creating an S3 Method (1)
    100 xp
    Creating an S3 method (2)
    100 xp
    Methodical Thinking
    50 xp
    Finding Available Methods (1)
    100 xp
    Finding Available Methods (2)
    50 xp
    Method Lookup for Primitive Generics
    50 xp
    Primitive Generic Functions
    100 xp
    Who is Calling?
    50 xp
    Too Much Class
    50 xp
    Very Classy
    100 xp
    Writing the Next Method
    100 xp
  3. 3

    Using R6

    Learn how to define R6 classes, and to create R6 objects. You'll also learn about the structure of R6 classes, and how to separate the user interface from the implementation details.

    Play Chapter Now
    The Object Factory
    50 xp
    Specifying the Microwave Oven Class
    100 xp
    Making Microwave Ovens
    100 xp
    Hiding Complexity with Encapsulation
    50 xp
    Learning to Cook
    100 xp
    Close the Door
    100 xp
    First Thing's First
    100 xp
    Getting and Setting with Active Bindings
    50 xp
    Read the Rating
    100 xp
    Control the Power
    100 xp
  4. 4

    R6 Inheritance

    Learn how to inherit from an R6 class, and how the relationship between parent and child classes works.

    Play Chapter Now
    Propagating Functionality with Inheritance
    50 xp
    Specifying a Fancy Microwave Oven
    100 xp
    Who's the Daddy?
    50 xp
    Making a Fancy Microwave Oven
    100 xp
    Embrace, Extend, Override
    50 xp
    Extending the Cooking Capabilities
    100 xp
    Overriding the Cooking Capabilities
    100 xp
    Multiple Levels of Inheritance
    50 xp
    Exposing your Parent
    100 xp
    Over-Overriding the Cooking Capabilities
    100 xp
    Remembering Your Origins
    50 xp
  5. 5

    Advanced R6 Usage

    Complete your mastery of R6 by learning about advanced topics such as copying by reference, shared fields, cloning objects, and finalizing objects. The chapter concludes with an interview with Winston Chang, creator of the R6 package.

    Play Chapter Now
    Environments, Reference Behavior, & Shared Fields
    50 xp
    Working with Environments (1)
    100 xp
    Working with Environments (2)
    100 xp
    Static Electricity
    100 xp
    Cloning R6 Objects
    50 xp
    Attack of the Clones (1)
    100 xp
    Attack of the Clones (2)
    100 xp
    Shut it Down
    50 xp
    The Final Countdown
    50 xp
    This is the End (of an R6 Object)
    100 xp

In the following tracks

R ProgrammerR Programming

Datasets

Cooking times (SQLite file)

Prerequisites

Introduction to Writing Functions in R
Richie Cotton Headshot

Richie Cotton

Curriculum Architect at DataCamp

Richie is a Learning Solutions Architect at DataCamp. He has been using R since 2004, in the fields of proteomics, debt collection, and chemical health and safety. He has released almost 30 R packages on CRAN and Bioconductor – most famously the assertive suite of packages – as well as creating and contributing to many others. He also has written two books on R programming, Learning R and Testing R Code.
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