R Software for Business Guide

• Packages expand what R can do
• Install new packages with

  install.packages('package_name')

• Load packages with

  library(package_name)

Install a package once per R installation (usually once on each computer). This downloads the content so it's on your system, ready to access.

  
    install.packages('package_name')
  

In RStudio, you can use the Tools > Install Packages... menu.

You can call a function or object from a package directly. This uses part of the package without changing your R environment.

  
   package_name::function_name(...)
  

If you'll use a function or object many times, you may want to load the package instead. This lets you call the package contents like you would any other function/object.

  
   library(package_name)
   function_name(...)
  

Leave the library line in your code; you'll need to run it every time you start a fresh R session.