ABSTRACT

Loading datasets is not always an easy task. People who create datasets use different file formats, trying to optimize diverse parameters (usability for office automation users, size, etc.). Sometimes, the information one needs is distributed in multiple small datasets. In other cases, the problem relies on the magnitude of the data, with datasets that, employing the usual data loading methods, will affect the performance of the computer. A plain text file (flat-file dataset) is a file constituted only by text or characters. It is a format supported by different programs, and is effortless to work with. The readr package is in charge of introducing a series of functions that can read different types of files. At first glance, the difference between the utils and readr functions is an underscore. A dataset can store the numerical values registered by the pollster. Along with technological advancements and faster internet connections, large datasets are interestingly available to social scientists.