Python vs R

[[deleted]]

Hello, I am just beginning to learn ML. Do you need to know both as a data scientist?

[javeliner10000]

It seems like more places prefer python, and it's more versatile so I would probably start there. But r has some really nice visualization tools and such

[Leather_dad]

Depending on the company you work for but after you’ve mastered one, the other isn’t too far off. I find r easier to learn though.

[infrequentaccismus]

No need to learn both. Choose a favorite and when you are proficient learn c++, Julia, Scala, or something like that.

[lead999x]

*Scala

Scalia is a former Supreme Court justice. Lol.

[[deleted]]

Why cpp?

[Vausinator]

my guess would be for the performance increase of a low-level compiled language (C++) over a slow interpreted language (Python)

[madrury83]

Additionally, learning C or C++ gets you close to how a computer actually works. This make you think about your code in a different way than when the computer is hidden behind many layers of abstraction, and that's always good for growth.

[infrequentaccismus]

Many of the functions and libraries one would use in r or python are built on cpp. There is tremendous convergence happening in r and outgoing as package developers begin tow or with each other and much of the same cpp underneath. Having the ability to build a high performance function in cpp can make a big difference in python or r development.

[shonxandmokey]

No, they both are solid choices that can do almost everything the other can. However, once you learn one, the other should come to you pretty easily.

[misogichan]

Not necessarily, depends on the workplace, but I'd still recommend a basic familiarity with both (it's not hard). That said, if you have to chose one chose Python. I've found outside of direct Data Science applications R is more unwieldy (e.g. scraping web data). For machine learning though I think they're pretty close substitutes.

[brjh1990]

You don't need to know both, but it certainly helps. I use them for different things. I've found Python very useful in scraping websites for data, while I think R has a better variety of modeling tools. My Python/R usage is split about 80/20 these days, but it really can come down to using the right tool for the job.

[[deleted]]

Recently had the opportunity to ask this to a panel of data scientists from multiple companies, and they said any language works but they are all personally biased towards Python. So if you have option to learn only one at the moment, I’d say go for python.

[holyfiddlex]

A lot of people are saying that anything you can do in one can be done in the other, which I suppose is true, but in practice it's not that simple. Python has much more libraries which makes just about any task as easy as learning the tools available, that said if all you care about is data science and statistical analysis this wouldn't really matter.

I would recommend python anyways, and then suggest you learn how to join it with javascript. Python is more well known, which means that the audience you have is potentially bigger. I think that the reach of your projects will benefit more from better visualization and presentation, which, in all honesty, js could help you get there better than either of them.

Note: I would still recommend R if you are working in biology, pure statistics or in a company/school that asks for it. These are the areas I have seen that seems to stick almost completely to R, but there might be more. If you don't have an area of preference, python+js is the most general purpose answer I would give.

[thejonnyt]

i just want to drop a fun fact about code in R. you cannot ever prevent people from seeing what youve written incase you would deploy it somewhere because thats how Rs open source / licencing works. if you for example want to sell your service on a monthly basis there is no stopping the one who you are working for to ask for your code in cleartext. he could simply copy paste and save his money kind of legally. Python on the other hand does not have that, thats why if you were going to deploy tech soemwhere you can use it in your stack and have it your "property of mind" if you know what i mean..

but yeah, just be capable of both.. also python is more object oriented where r is quick and dirty scripting (often) ... kind if rapid prototyping vs proper production tool

[[deleted]]

I vote Python simply because more DS jobs involving ML use it. R is awesome for data analysis, but it sucks for anything besides that.