R Weekly Highlights

Our candid takes on the state of CRAN's role in light of recent package archival events, how creative use of LLMs could greatly streamline your next literature review, and a few great illustrations of lazy being a good thing in your R session.Episode LinksThis week's curator: Eric Nantz - @rpodcast@podcastindex.social (Mastodon) & @rpodcast.bsky.social (BlueSky) & @theRcast (X/Twitter)Is CRAN Holding R Back?How to use large language models to assist in systematic literature reviewsLazy introduction to laziness in REntire issue available at rweekly.org/2025-W08Supplement ResourcesA guide to contributing to open-source Python packages https://arilamstein.com/blog/2025/01/02/a-guide-to-contributing-to-open-source-python-packages/Continue https://www.continue.dev/Supporting the showUse the contact page at https://serve.podhome.fm/custompage/r-weekly-highlights/contact to send us your feedbackR-Weekly Highlights on the Podcastindex.org - You can send a boost into the show directly in the Podcast Index. First, top-up with Alby, and then head over to the R-Weekly Highlights podcast entry on the index.A new way to think about value: https://value4value.infoGet in touch with us on social mediaEric Nantz: @rpodcast@podcastindex.social (Mastodon), @rpodcast.bsky.social (BlueSky) and @theRcast (X/Twitter)Mike Thomas: @mike_thomas@fosstodon.org (Mastodon), @mike-thomas.bsky.social (BlueSky), and @mike_ketchbrook (X/Twitter) Music credits powered by OCRemixGurgling Desert Pond - Final Fantasy Random Encounter - blackguitar - https://ocremix.org/remix/OCR02555Hotel Rhumba - Earthbound - The Pancake Chef - https://ocremix.org/remix/OCR00526

Discover tips for mastering monochrome visualizations and explore unique features of Scotland's census data processing. Learn about the transformative impact of a new mobile app that integrates R into various industries and education. Dive into essential strategies for cleaning messy data, including practical tools like Vroom and data.table. Finally, gain insights on managing the lifecycle of R packages and the importance of community collaboration in the R ecosystem.

Context is king in a trifecta of R packages harnessing LLMs to be your virtual assistant in package development and data science, plus the world (of data) is at your fingertips for data exploration and sharing your insights using the innovative closeread Quarto extension.Episode LinksThis week's curator: Jonathan Kitt - @jonathankitt.bsky.social (Bluesky)Three experiments in LLM code assist with RStudio and PositronGapminder: how has the world changed?Downloading datasets from Our World in Data in REntire issue available at rweekly.org/2025-W06Supplement ResourcesFrom hours to minutes: accelerating your tidymodels code https://youtu.be/pTMiDHFIiPQ?si=4qZC3_NLUVhD5hAaEffecient Machine Learning with R https://emlwr.org/Closeread: Bringing scrollytelling to Quarto https://youtu.be/KqLxy66B3lQ?si=w7DIB4QhYk2u6cLGCloseread Posit contest submissions https://forum.posit.co/tag/closeread-prize-2024Extract Information From Images and PDFs With R & LLMs  https://3mw.albert-rapp.de/p/extract-information-from-images-and-pdfs-with-r-llmsusgs geological survey mapping water https://waterdata.usgs.gov/blog/acs-maps/Supporting the showUse the contact page at https://serve.podhome.fm/custompage/r-weekly-highlights/contact to send us your feedbackR-Weekly Highlights on the Podcastindex.org - You can send a boost into the show directly in the Podcast Index. First, top-up with Alby, and then head over to the R-Weekly Highlights podcast entry on the index.A new way to think about value: https://value4value.infoGet in touch with us on social mediaEric Nantz: @rpodcast@podcastindex.social (Mastodon), @rpodcast.bsky.social (BlueSky) and @theRcast (X/Twitter)Mike Thomas: @mike_thomas@fosstodon.org (Mastodon), @mike-thomas.bsky.social (BlueSky), and @mike_ketchbrook (X/Twitter) Music credits powered by OCRemixCosta del Sol DANCE - Final Fantasy VII - posu yan - https://ocremix.org/remix/OCR00095Aerobotics - Mega Man 8 - Just Coffee - https://ocremix.org/remix/OCR03323

Ready to bring your next presentation slides to the world of Quarto? Our first highlight has a batch of power tips you can use for your next slide deck. Plus terrific insights from first-time contributors to open-source software.Episode LinksThis week's curator: Jon Calder - @jonmcalder@fosstodon.org (Mastodon) & @jonmcalder (X/Twitter)Seven tips for creating Quarto revealjs presentationsFrom Novice to Contributor: Making and Supporting First-Time Contributions to FOSSEntire issue available at rweekly.org/2025-W05Supplement ResourcesEmil Hvitfeldt's blog https://emilhvitfeldt.comGitHub Desktop https://github.com/apps/desktopGitKraken https://www.gitkraken.com/lazygit https://github.com/jesseduffield/lazygitCoworking mini-hackathons https://ropensci.org/blog/2025/01/24/coworking-hackathons/ ShinyConf 2025 https://www.shinyconf.comPosit::Conf 2025 https://posit.co/conference/Supporting the showUse the contact page at https://serve.podhome.fm/custompage/r-weekly-highlights/contact to send us your feedbackR-Weekly Highlights on the Podcastindex.org - You can send a boost into the show directly in the Podcast Index. First, top-up with Alby, and then head over to the R-Weekly Highlights podcast entry on the index.A new way to think about value: https://value4value.infoGet in touch with us on social mediaEric Nantz: @rpodcast@podcastindex.social (Mastodon), @rpodcast.bsky.social (BlueSky) and @theRcast (X/Twitter)Mike Thomas: @mike_thomas@fosstodon.org (Mastodon), @mike-thomas.bsky.social (BlueSky), and @mike_ketchbrook (X/Twitter) Music powered by OCRemixThe Narshemellow - Final Fantasy VI Balance & Ruin - XPRTNovice - https://ocremix.org/remix/OCR03141

This week dives into flowchart creation in R, perfect for clinical trials, showcasing its user-friendly design. Discover advanced flowcharting tools like MermaidJS that enhance professional communication. Learn about the complexities of R package development with C integration amid evolving standards. Explore groundbreaking techniques for visualizing brain MRI data, critical for understanding Alzheimer's. Finally, celebrate community innovations from the Posit team and engage with ongoing projects in the dynamic R landscape.

The podcast kicks off with a celebration of the new year and the community's role in its success. AI models like Claude and Llama are compared for analyzing and summarizing content from Bluesky, showcasing the complexity of language models. Microsoft and OpenAI's tools for web content extraction are demonstrated using cycling data. There's a focus on accessibility in data visualization with R, including techniques for effective color usage. New R tools, like the Rix package, are introduced to enhance programming and analytical capabilities.

Dive into the evolution of asynchronous programming techniques to enhance Shiny apps, making your coding more efficient. Explore a century-old mathematical puzzle that could revolutionize algorithms solvable in R. Get hands-on with Advent of Code challenges, utilizing the data.table package for innovative solutions. Discover a unique analysis of Lime Bike usage in London, showcasing cutting-edge data visualization techniques. And don’t miss the call for community contributions as the host reflects on the year and looks ahead!

The future of R-Universe is bright, with new recognition and funding enhancing the R package ecosystem. The Positron IDE offers innovative features that could revolutionize R programming, providing a streamlined interface and multi-language support. Exciting developments in AI integration are transforming data analysis, with unique applications like a chatbot tipping app. Personal projects like customizing Apple Music data showcase the creativity within the community. Plus, predictions for the 2025 Academy Awards take center stage, enticing movie buffs.

The hosts explore a unique R package that honors contributors to open-source projects, perfect for the holiday spirit. They dive into innovative strategies for addressing missing data using interpolation techniques. A spotlight on analyzing NBA shot data uncovers predictive modeling secrets for superstars like Steph Curry. Plus, hear about performance optimization in Shiny applications with clever caching methods. Community engagement takes center stage as listeners are invited to participate and connect.

The podcast unpacks a groundbreaking native mobile Shiny application that’s finally here! It also shines a light on expanding your professional network with the innovative 'atrr' package for Bluesky. Get the scoop on the latest updates in Kordo and the S7 object-oriented paradigm that promises to refine function parameters. Plus, there’s buzz about enhancing Shiny documentation with the new 'roxy.shinylive' package, making interactivity more accessible than ever. November closes out with a blend of tech and community insights!