R operators: overview – IONOS

Operators are a fundamental component of every programming language, including the R language. With R operators, you can perform assignments, arithmetic calculations, as well as comparisons and even evaluate logical expressions.

R operators: what is an R operator?¶

The R operators (or R operators in English) are strings of characters or special symbols used to perform operations on values ​​or variables. These operations may include arithmetic calculations, comparisons, assignments, or a range of other actions. Operators play a decisive role in the transformation, manipulation and analyzes of data in R, and are a pillar of R programming.

What are the different types of R operators?¶

R operators can be divided into different types depending on their functionality. Note that this list is not exhaustive, but contains the main types of operators in R.

• Arithmetic operators in R : they are used for arithmetic calculations.
• Logical operators in R : Logical operators in R are used to compare logical values ​​and evaluate logical expressions. They return a logical value.
• Bitwise operators in R : they allow the manipulation of bits in a number.
• Assignment operators in R : Assignment operators are used to assign values ​​to variables.
• Relational operators in R : This type of R operators is used to compare values ​​and create logical expressions.

Unlike many other programming languages, in R there is no no explicit increment or decrement operators. If you need such functionality in While loops in R or in For loops, you can perform addition or subtraction with 1.

R operators: arithmetic operators¶

Arithmetic operators (arithmetic operators in English) are used to execute mathematical calculationslike basic operations.

Arithmetic R operators in code¶

a <- 7
b <- 3

addition <- a + b
soustraction <- a - b
multiplication <- a * b
division <- a / b
modulo <- a %% b
division par un nombre entier <- a %/% b
exponentiation <- 2^3

R operators: software operators¶

Logical operators (software operators in English) are used in R to compare logical values and evaluate logical expressions. They always return a logical value as a result, which can be TRUE Or FALSE.

Code Examples for Logical Operators in R¶

x <- TRUE
y <- FALSE

opérateur_et <- x & y
opérateur_ou <- x | y
opérateur_non <- !x

R operators: bitwise operators¶

Bit operators (bitwise operators in English) allow you to manipulate the bits of a number. To understand how these operators really work, you need in-depth knowledge about the binary system, the base 2 numbering system.

Bit operators in R code¶

a <- 5
b <- 3

et_par_bit <- bitwAnd(a, b)
ou_par_bit <- bitwOr(a, b)
xor_par_bit <- bitwXor(a, b)
not_par_bit<- bitwNot(a)
décalagegauche<- bitwShiftL(a, 1)
décalagedroite<- bitwShiftR(a, 1)

R operators: relational operators¶

Comparison operators (relational operators in English) are used to compare values. They return a Boolean value as a result, i.e. TRUE (true), either FALSE (fake).

Comparison operators in code¶

x <- 5
y <- 3

égal <- x == y
inégal <- x != y
inférieur_à <- x< y
supérieur_à <- x > y
inférieur_ou_égal_à <- x <= y
supérieur_ou_égal_à <- x >= y

R operators: assignment operators¶

The assignment operators (assignment operators in English) are used to assign specific values ​​to variables. They are essential for every programming language. In R, there are different assignment operators, but the operator <- is however most often used.

Code examples with assignment operators in R¶

matrix(1, nrow=2)
b <- 3
test <- function() {
   a <<- 1
}