Packages

The devtools R package makes it easy to install packages from locations other than the CRAN website. devtools provides functions like install_github, install_gitorious, install_bitbucket, and install_url. These work similar to install.packages, but they search new locations for R packages. install_github is especially useful because many R developers provide development versions of their packages on GitHub. The development version of a package will contain a sneak peek of new functions and patches but may not be as stable or as bug free as the CRAN version.

What's the best way to learn about R packages?

It is difficult to use an R package if you don't know that it exists. You could go to the CRAN website and click the Packages link to see a list of available packages, but you'll have to wade through thousands of them. Moreover, many R packages do the same things.

How do you know which package does them best? The R-packages mailing list is a place to start. It sends out announcements of new packages and maintains an archive of old announcements. Blogs that aggregate posts about R can also provide valuable leads. I recommend R-bloggers. RStudio maintains a list of some of the most useful R packages in the Getting Started section of http://support.rstudio.com. Finally, CRAN groups together some of the most useful - and most respected - packages by subject area. This is an excellent place to learn about the packages designed for your area of work.