Comparison – R vs. Python: head to head data analysis

Re:Comparison – R vs. Python: head to head data analysis by lottin on Wednesday October 14, 2015 @11:08AM (#10387023)

Exploring the data is maybe 99% of what data analysis is about. It's very much a trial and error process that can't be planned in advance, and R is in my opinion much better suited for that, with a better interactive interface, plotting system and statistical libraries.

On the other hand, if you know the exact calculations that you need to do and the results you're gonna get, then Python might be a better tool.

Personally I learned R after Python, and I use both languages, but I prefer R for anything involving statistics.

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Re:Comparison – R vs. Python: head to head data analysis by sweezyjeezy on Wednesday October 14, 2015 @11:48AM (#10387278)

"R is in my opinion much better suited for that, with a better interactive interface"

Have you tried IPython/Jupyter?

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Re:Comparison – R vs. Python: head to head data analysis by lottin on Wednesday October 14, 2015 @12:35PM (#10387618)

Yes, I used IPython a lot.

What I meant by better interactive interface is that the language itself is designed with interactive use in mind.

For instance compare

  func(x$a, x$b)
  func(a, b, data=x)
  func(a=1, b=2)

with

  func(x['a'], x['b'])
  func('a', 'b', data=x)
  func([1, 2], ['a', 'b'])

The R versions are easier to type and read.

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Re:Comparison – R vs. Python: head to head data analysis by unclesaamm on Wednesday October 14, 2015 @01:03PM (#10387832)

If the Python version is Pandas you could replace the brackets with dot notation. (x.a, x.b)

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Re:Comparison – R vs. Python: head to head data analysis by xixi77 on Wednesday October 14, 2015 @12:52PM (#10387752)

the last one is, of course, a result of the atrocious handling of the default arguments in Python :)

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