The R environment

R is more than a language. Is it an integrated suite of software facilities for data manipulation, calculation, and graphical display. Therefore, the term environment is used to characterize R as a coherent system rather than a collection of isolated tools.

R is designed around a true computer language, allowing users to add additional functionality by defining new functions. For computationally intensive tasks, C, C++, and Fortran code can be linked and called at run time. Advanced users can write C code to manipulate R objects directly.