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Common problems when visualizing

The document discusses common coding errors encountered when using ggplot2 in R, emphasizing the importance of syntax, case sensitivity, and the correct placement of parentheses and plus signs. It provides examples of typical mistakes and their corresponding error messages, along with guidance on how to correct them. Additionally, it lists various resources for troubleshooting and learning more about R and ggplot2, including built-in documentation, online searches, and community support.

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12 views

Common problems when visualizing

The document discusses common coding errors encountered when using ggplot2 in R, emphasizing the importance of syntax, case sensitivity, and the correct placement of parentheses and plus signs. It provides examples of typical mistakes and their corresponding error messages, along with guidance on how to correct them. Additionally, it lists various resources for troubleshooting and learning more about R and ggplot2, including built-in documentation, online searches, and community support.

Uploaded by

upliifters
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Coding errors are an inevitable part of writing code—especially when you’re first learning a

new programming language. In this reading, you will learn how to recognize common coding
errors when creating visualizations using ggplot2. You’ll also find links to some resources that
you can use to help address any coding problems you might encounter moving forward.

Common coding errors in ggplot2


When working with R code in ggplot2, many of the most common coding errors involve issues
with syntax, such as misplaced characters. That is why paying attention to details is such an
important part of writing code. When there’s an error in your code that R is able to detect, it
will generate an error message. Error messages can help point you in the right direction, but
they won’t always help you figure out the precise problem.

Now, explore a few of the most common coding errors you might encounter in ggplot2.

Case sensitivity
R code is case sensitive. If you accidentally capitalize the first letter in a certain function, it
might affect your code. Here’s an example:

Glimpse(penguins)

The error message lets you know that R cannot find a function named “Glimpse”:

Error in Glimpse(penguins) : could not find function "Glimpse"

But you know that the function glimpse (lowercase “g”) does exist. Notice that the error
message doesn’t explain exactly what is wrong, but does point you in a general direction.

Based on that, you can figure out that this is the correct code:

glimpse(penguins)

Balancing parentheses and quotation marks


Another common R coding error involves parentheses and quotation marks. In R, you need to
make sure that every opening parenthesis in your function has a closing parenthesis, and every
opening quotation mark has a closing quotation mark. For example, if you run the following
code, nothing happens. R does not create the plot. That is because the second line of code is
missing two closing parentheses:
ggplot(data = penguins) +
geom_point(mapping = aes(x = flipper_length_mm, y = body_mass_g

RStudio does alert you to the problem. To the left of the line of code in your RStudio source
editor, you might notice a red circle with a white X in the center. If you hover over the circle
with your cursor, this message appears:

RStudio lets you know that you have an unmatched opening bracket. So, to correct the code,
you know that you need to add a closing bracket to match each opening bracket.

Here’s the correct code:

ggplot(data = penguins) +

geom_point(mapping = aes(x = flipper_length_mm, y = body_mass_g))

Using the plus sign to add layers


In ggplot2, you need to add a plus sign (+) to your code when you add a new layer to your plot.
Putting the plus sign in the wrong place is a common mistake. The plus sign should always be
placed at the end of a line of code, not the beginning of a line.

Here’s an example of code that includes incorrect placement of the plus sign:

ggplot(data = penguins)

+ geom_point(mapping = aes(x = flipper_length_mm, y = body_mass_g))

In this case, R’s error message identifies the problem and prompts you to correct it:

Error: Cannot use `+.gg()` with a single argument. Did you


accidentally put + on a new line?

Here’s the correct code:

ggplot(data = penguins) +

geom_point(mapping = aes(x = flipper_length_mm, y = body_mass_g))

You also might accidentally use a pipe instead of a plus sign to add a new layer to your plot, like
this:
ggplot(data = penguins)%>%

geom_point(mapping = aes(x = flipper_length_mm, y = body_mass_g))

You then get the following error message:

Error: `data` must be a data frame, or other object coercible by


`fortify()`, not an S3 object with class gg/ggplot

Here’s the correct code:

ggplot(data = penguins) +

geom_point(mapping = aes(x = flipper_length_mm, y = body_mass_g))

Keep in mind these issues and pay attention to details when you write code will help you
reduce errors and save time, so you can stay focused on your analysis.

Help resources
Everyone makes mistakes when writing code—it’s just part of the learning process.
Fortunately, there are lots of helpful resources available in RStudio and online.

R documentation
R has built-in documentation for all functions and packages. To learn more about any R
function, just run the code ?function_name. For example, if you want to learn more about
the geom_bar function, type:

?geom_bar

When you run the code, an entry on geom_bar appears in the Help viewer in the lower-right
pane of your RStudio workspace. The entry begins with a Description section that discusses
bar charts:
The RDocumentation website contains much of the same content in a slightly different format,
with additional examples and links.

ggplot2 documentation
The ggplot2 page, which is part of the official tidyverse documentation, is a great resource for
all things related to ggplot2. It includes entries on key topics, useful examples of code, and links
to other helpful resources.

Online search
Doing an online search for the error message you are encountering (and including “R” and the
function or package name in your search terms) is another option. There’s a good chance
someone else has already encountered the same error and posted about it online.

The R community
If the other resources don’t help, reach out to the Posit community online for advice about
using RStudio. There are lots of useful online forums and websites:
● R for Data Science Online Learning Community
● Posit Community
● Stackoverflow
● Twitter (#rstats)

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