1 What are R and RStudio?

It is assumed that you are using R via RStudio. First time users often confuse the two. At its simplest:

  • R is like a car’s engine
  • RStudio is like a car’s dashboard.
R: Engine

Figure 1.1: R: Engine

RStudio: Dashboard

Figure 1.2: RStudio: Dashboard

More precisely, R is a programming language that runs computations while RStudio is an integrated development environment (IDE) that provides an interface by adding many convenient features and tools. So the way of having access to a speedometer, rearview mirrors, and a navigation system makes driving much easier, using RStudio’s interface makes using R much easier as well.