R guidelines

• Please make use of our template for R-scripts
• No magic in scripts. Use parameter file + command line parameters to indicate file names. Do not manipulate file names in scripts.
• Avoid the use of global variables from within functions (e.g. with <<-)
• Functions should have only one task
• Use tabs for indentation, not spaces
• Use = for assignments, not <-. This choice is arbitrary (opinions are divided).
• If main code is in main.R, put its functions in main_functions.R
• R-scripts are ignorant of their location. Here we explain how to source(main_functions.R)
• Please note our guidelines for documentation and tests
• Always use < (smaller than) or <=, never > or >=
• Always put constants first, e.g. if (1 == my.variable) …
• See also Google's R-style guide
  • E.g. FunctionName (we allow functionName and function.name too), file_name.R, variable.name