Master functions and discover how to write functional programs in R. In this book updated for
R 4 you'll learn to make your functions pure by avoiding side effects write functions that
manipulate other functions and construct complex functions using simpler functions as building
blocks. In Functional Programming in R 4 you'll see how to replace loops which can have
side-effects with recursive functions that can more easily avoid them. In addition the book
covers why you shouldn't use recursion when loops are more efficient and how you can get the
best of both worlds. Functional programming is a style of programming like object-oriented
programming but one that focuses on data transformations and calculations rather than objects
and state. Where in object-oriented programming you model your programs by describing which
states an object can be in and how methods will reveal or modify that state in functional
programming you model programs by describing how functions translate input data to output data.
Functions themselves are considered to be data you can manipulate and much of the strength of
functional programming comes from manipulating functions that is building more complex
functions by combining simpler functions. What You'll Learn Write functions in R 4 including
infix operators and replacement functions Create higher order functions Pass functions to other
functions and start using functions as data you can manipulate Use Filer Map and Reduce
functions to express the intent behind code clearly and safely Build new functions from
existing functions without necessarily writing any new functions using point-free programming
Create functions that carry data along with them Who This Book Is ForThose with at least some
experience with programming in R.
