7 Data import

Learning objectives:

• Read data from disk using the readr::read_*() family of functions.
• Compare and contrast the read_*() functions with the base R equivalents.
• Parse character data into other data types using the readr::parse_*() functions.
  • List the complications that can arise when parsing numerical strings.
  • Understand how the various character encodings can make it tricky to parse characters.
  • Describe the common conventions used for date/time data.
• Diagnose problems that may arise when using the read_*() functions.
• Write data to disk using the readr::write_*() family of functions.