[[!meta title="Learning R: Basic Variables and Objects"]]

Variables and Objects
---------------------

Like most computer languages, R uses variables as a means of storing
information in memory and retrieving it later. Variables can be
assigned to using the `<-` or `=` operator. For example, to assign the
number `5` to the variable `foo`, you would write

[[!sweavealike echo=1 results="hide" code="""
foo <- 5
"""]]

Variables can retrieved simply by referring to them by name. For
example, to add `8` to the variable `foo` and store the result in
`bar`, you would do the following:

[[!sweavealike echo=1 results="hide" code="""
bar <- foo + 8
"""]]


In R, variables are more correctly called objects, because they have
structure and do not directly refer to a specific memory location.

Basic Types
----------

Vectors
=======

A vector is the major data type used in R. You can think of it as a
line of cells, each containing a value of the same type.
[Type here means a number or a string.]


Lists
=====


Object Attributes
-----------------