Chapter 4 Rmd

R Markdown is a powerful tool for combining analysis and reporting into the same document. R Markdown has grown substantially from a package that supports a few output formats, to an extensive and diverse ecosystem that supports the creation of books, blogs, scientific articles, websites, and even resumes.

Q: Why would I use R Markdown to write reports or papers instead of LaTeX?
A: R Markdown (or other markdown language, eg, Quarto) is more flexible, easier syntax. E.g., for bold text, you can use **bold** instead of \textbf{bold}; for making a bullet list, LaTeX needs an environment \begin{itemize}, but you can simply use a dash - in markdown. LaTeX’s advantage is precision; Rmd’s advantage is flexibility and ease of use. For everyday reporting, Rmd/Quarto is sufficient. For more complex documents, e.g., papers, use LaTeX.

Nice documentations

• rmarkdown package CRAN
  • Package CRAN html page
  • Reference manual pdf
• bookdown package CRAN
  • Package CRAN page
  • Reference manual
• R markdown: The definitive guide. provides detailed references; GitHub repo HERE.
• R markdown cookbook: concise and covers essential functions, with examples.
• Authoring Books with R Markdown: with a focus on bookdown.

Q: What is the difference between Rmd and R script?
A:

• An R script (.R) is used for developing and troubleshooting code; a place where you can store reusable code fragments.
• An R Markdown file (.Rmd) is used to integrate R commands with explanatory text and output, making it useful for creating reports.

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Quick takeaways:

• Can still use horizontal separator ctrl + shift + S for dashed lines and ctrl + shift + = for equals
• Headers must have one empty line above and below to separate it from other text

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