Data Frame Operations and Manipulation

Key takeaway: Practice R with 53+ runnable code examples — vectors, strings, math, data frames, recursion, and sampling — with expected output to verify instantly.

R is a programming language for statistical computing and data analysis. These examples are for data science students, researchers, analysts, and anyone learning R for coursework or work projects.

Last updated: October 2026 · 53 examples · All platforms

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R Program to Change Column Name of a Dataframe

Renames a column using names().

Program (R)
df <- data.frame(name=c("Ann","Bob"), age=c(19,21))
names(df)[2] <- "age_years"
print(names(df))
Expected Output
[1] "name" "age_years"

R Program to Convert a List to a Dataframe

Converts a named list into a data frame.

Program (R)
l <- list(name=c("Ann","Bob"), age=c(19,21))
df <- as.data.frame(l)
print(df)
Expected Output
  name age
1  Ann  19
2  Bob  21

R Program to Create an Empty Dataframe

Defines a data frame with no rows.

Program (R)
df <- data.frame(id=integer(), name=character(), stringsAsFactors=FALSE)
print(df)
Expected Output
[1] id   name
<0 rows> (or 0-length row.names)

R Program to Combine Two Dataframe into One

Stacks data frames with same columns using rbind.

Program (R)
df1 <- data.frame(id=c(1,2), name=c("Ann","Bob"))
df2 <- data.frame(id=c(3), name=c("Cara"))
df <- rbind(df1, df2)
print(df)
Expected Output
  id name
1  1  Ann
2  2  Bob
3  3 Cara

R Program to Drop Columns in a Dataframe

Removes a column by assigning NULL.

Program (R)
df <- data.frame(name=c("Ann","Bob"), age=c(19,21))
df$age <- NULL
print(df)
Expected Output
  name
1  Ann
2  Bob

R Program to Reorder Columns in a Dataframe

Changes column order by indexing.

Program (R)
df <- data.frame(name=c("Ann","Bob"), age=c(19,21))
print(df[, c("age", "name")])
Expected Output
  age name
1  19  Ann
2  21  Bob

R Program to Split Dataframe

Splits data frame by a grouping column.

Program (R)
df <- data.frame(group=c("A","A","B"), val=c(1,2,3))
spl <- split(df, df$group)
print(spl)
Expected Output
$A
  group val
1     A   1
2     A   2

$B
  group val
3     B   3

R Program to Merge Multiple Dataframes

Merges by key using merge.

Program (R)
df1 <- data.frame(id=c(1,2), a=c(10,20))
df2 <- data.frame(id=c(2,3), b=c(200,300))
print(merge(df1, df2, by="id", all=TRUE))
Expected Output
  id  a   b
1  1 10  NA
2  2 20 200
3  3 NA 300

R Program to Delete Rows From Dataframe

Filters rows using a condition.

Program (R)
df <- data.frame(name=c("Ann","Bob","Cara"), age=c(19,21,18))
df <- df[df$age > 19, ]
print(df)
Expected Output
  name age
2  Bob  21

R Program to Make a List of Dataframes

Creates a list containing multiple data frames.

Program (R)
df1 <- data.frame(id=1:2)
df2 <- data.frame(id=3:4)
lst <- list(df1=df1, df2=df2)
print(lapply(lst, nrow))
Expected Output
$df1
[1] 2

$df2
[1] 2

R Program to Concatenate Two Strings

Concatenates strings using paste0.

Program (R)
a <- "Hello"
b <- "World"
print(paste0(a, " ", b))
Expected Output
[1] "Hello World"

Frequently Asked Questions

Use Rscript from your terminal. Install R from CRAN, save as main.R, run Rscript main.R. Or use RStudio.

No, base R only. All examples use built-in functions for maximum portability.

Yes, absolutely. Copy, tweak inputs, observe outputs — experimentation is the fastest way to learn.

Yes, fully cross-platform. R runs on Windows, macOS, and Linux. Works with R 3.6+.

Learn R the Practical Way

R ranks among the top 20 languages on the TIOBE Index, dominant in academia and data science.

Topics Covered

  • Vectors, lists, and data frames
  • String manipulation and text processing
  • Math, statistics, and random sampling
  • Control flow — if/else, for, while
  • Recursion and custom functions
  • File I/O and formatted output

Who Is This For?

  • Data science students — coursework and R-based exams
  • Researchers — statistical analysis for papers
  • Analysts — data wrangling skills for work
  • Career switchers — transitioning into data roles

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