R-packaging

Overview

In this course, R programmers will learn how to develop R packages, the best way to make R scripts reusable. Participants will learn how to create clear, clean and usable packages in R, and to distribute them if needed. At the same time, they will improve their understanding of the inner workings of R, something that will be useful to them even outside of the creation of R packages.

This course is recommended even for programmers who do not plan to distribute their R scripts or datasets: R packages are also useful for a developer who works alone, and wants to keep track of his scripts and the related documentation.

Audience

This course is addressed to Biologists, bioinformaticians or any R user who has written R scripts and wants to package them.

Learning outcomes

At the end of the course, the participants will be able to:

• identify why and when R packages should be used, and which scripts would benefit from being packaged;
• identify what makes a good package;
• build an R Package, including functions, datasets and documentation;
• add unit tests to their package;
• determine the best way to distribute a package.

Prerequisites

Knowledge / competencies

This course is designed for intermediate users who have already a good knowledge in R and have developed their own functions and/or scripts.

Technical

You are required to bring your own laptop, with a working Wifi connection, and the latest versions of R (at least 4.1) and RStudio installed.

Application

The registration fees for academics are 100 CHF and 500 CHF for for-profit companies.

You will be informed by email of your registration confirmation. Upon reception of the confirmation email, participants will be asked to confirm attendance by paying the fees within 5 days.

Applications will close as soon as the places will be filled up. Deadline for free-of-charge cancellation is set to 14/08/2023. Cancellation after this date will not be reimbursed. Please note that participation in SIB courses is subject to our general conditions.

Venue and Time

This course will take place at University of Lausanne. The course will start at 9:00 and end around 17:00. Precise information will be provided to the participants in due time.

Additional information

Coordination: Valeria Di Cola, SIB Training Group.

We will recommend 0.5 ECTS credits for this course (given a passed exam at the end of the course).

You are welcome to register to the SIB courses mailing list to be informed of all future courses and workshops, as well as all important deadlines using the form here.

Please note that participation in SIB courses is subject to our general conditions.

SIB abides by the ELIXIR Code of Conduct. Participants of SIB courses are also required to abide by the same code.

For more information, please contact training@sib.swiss.