quarto.qmd

---
title: "Start coding"
subtitle: "Console, script,or Notebook"
---

After installing R, RStudio, and the Tidyverse packages, you're ready to send commands to the R-interpreter.

::: {.callout-warning collapse="true"}
## Best Practice: start with a Project, then edit code

Reproducibility starts at the [foundation](proj.html#reproducibility)! Always begin by opening a project. See [New Projects](proj.html) for tips.

We recommend entering your code in code-chunks (Insert \> code-chunks) within [coding notebooks](quarto.html#notebooks---recomended).
:::

## Console

![R console quadrant in RStudio](images/console.jpg){style="float:left; padding:20px;" width="369"}

\

A very simple way to code is to send commands directly to the *console* (bottom-left quadrant in RStudio). For example: in the RStudio console, type *cars ---* then hit the enter key.

This approach is convenient but not very [reproducible](proj.html#reproducibility).

## Notebooks - RECOMENDED

We recommend using Quarto Documents. This provides a visual notebook where coders blend code with prose, then render publishable documents from the quarto-document. Another option is R Markdown documents; R Markdown is the predecessor to Quarto.

::: column-margin
[![Sample Quarto Document](/images/quarto.jpg)](https://quarto.org/docs/get-started/hello/rstudio.html#authoring)
:::

The basic steps are

1.  Begin new Quarto document (`File > New file > Quarto document`)
2.  Compose explanation of goals and code-chunks using *natural language* (i.e. prose)
3.  Add code-chunks (`Ctrl-Alt-i`) to compose code. (intersperse code-chunks with prose)
4.  Render document into a publishable report[^1]

[^1]: Many report formats are available including: PDF, MS Word, Slides, PPTX, HTML, EPUB, Web sites, Blogs, Interactive interfaces.

### Recommended Quarto links

-   [Quarto tutorial](https://quarto.org/docs/get-started/hello/rstudio.html) (Includes step-by-step [hello.qmd document](https://quarto.org/docs/get-started/hello/rstudio/_hello.qmd): from authoring to rendering )

-   Quarto [FAQ for R Markdown](https://quarto.org/docs/faq/rmarkdown.html) users

-   Quarto [example](https://quarto.org/docs/gallery/) publication types. Plus [guides](https://quarto.org/docs/guide/) and [deep-references docs](https://quarto.org/docs/reference/)

## Scripts - plain vanilla

You can also code the old fashion way using a plain vanilla .R script.[^2]

[^2]: `File > New file > R script`. There is no mandate to join the twenty-first century and honor academic values like *reproducibility, such as* rendering reports from code. You do you. I don't judge 😃