as.Date()

Convert String to Date in R Programming using as Date() function in 2021 – Easy Steps

Learn how to Convert String to Date in R Programming using as Date() function in 2021. Learn about R Date Format.

Date and Time are not a normal variable type in many programming languages and attract some complexity in reading them as they stand in a type that is the string in appearance but numeric in actual calculations

We will see how the date is read in as Date type instead of string in R Language.

In R Language, the date has to be given in a certain type in order to be read into the system.

In R the date is read as YYYY-MM-DD format and no other format is read default unless and until the format of the date is mentioned in a statement.

For reading the date which is usually given in a string format which reads a slash or hyphen or period symbol which separates the year, month and day in the date format.

If we import the data from a CSV file or an excel file or a database we won’t have any issue as it will read the data as a date. But the problem comes when we do calculations and we input the data by ourselves.

The syntax for reading the date from a string in R Language is – as.date(). To be read as “as dot date of” function.

This function converts the quoted string in the quotation to a date format. The only default prerequisite for operating this function without any option is to read the default type of date i.e YYYY-MM-DD format.

The syntax for Storing date as Date type:

as.Date()
as.Date()
x=as.Date("YYYY-MM-DD")

The variable x will be storing the date in Date format.

If we don’t give the as.Date() function and store the value in the variable it will be storing the value as string and not as a date value.

The syntax for Storing date as String type:

y=("YYYY-MM-DD")
Storing Date as string

We can easily find the difference in the types of the variable by using finding the class/ type of variable.

In the Variable view of RStudio, the x Variable will be in Date Type as it will carry UTC as a suffix and the y Variable will be in between the quotes, which shows it is a string and not a numeric or date type.

Convert String to Date in R Programming using as Date()
Convert String to Date in R Programming using as Date()

This is how we can convert the date in the string to the actual date value in R Language and we can show the type in which it is stored.

Please do check R Programming training from Ampersand Academy. Also, read about R Programming Installation and R Studio Installation

How to install R Studio? Easy 10 Steps

Learn how to install R Studio in 10 easy steps and get starting with R IDE

Please note that before installing R Studio, you must install R Programming on your computer. You can learn to install R Programming from his link.

With a consideration that you have successfully installed R Programming. Follow these 10 steps to successfully install R Studio on your computer. Here we have demonstrated R Studio installation in Windows 10 and you can also install it on your Mac or Linux computers with the same procedure.

Step 1: Search in Google with the keyword R Studio download.

Google R Studio download

Step 2: Click on the first link from rstudio.com with the title “Download the RStudio IDE”

Open Download the RStudio IDE Website

Step 3: Inside the website, scroll down a bit to find various versions of R Studio. For Open Source usage you can go with the Free Version. Click on the Download icon under the Free Version

Click Download under Free R Studio Version

Step 4: If you’re using Windows 10. Click on the Download RStudio for Window button. If you’ve Linux or Mac OS you can check the section below where you can find the links to download RStudio for respective OS.

Download RStudio for Windows, MAC or Linux

Step 5: If you’re using Chrome, you can find the download progress in the bottom. Once the download is complete you can click on the file to Open

Click open the RStudio EXE file

Step 6: Click on the Next Button in the Welcome Screen of RStudio Installation

Welcome Screen of RStudio Installation

Step 7: Choose the Install Location and click on Next. You can either leave it to the default location or you can change your path based on your preference.

RStudio Installation Path

Step 8: Choose Start Menu Folder in the Next Installation Screen and click Next

Choose Start Menu Folder for R Studio Installation

Step 9: Wait till the RStudio Installation process is complete

RStudio installation Process

Step 10: Click on Finish to complete R Studio installation in Windows 10.

how to install R Studio
how to install R Studio

You can follow the same step to Download and Install R Studio in Windows 11 as well.

Please do check R Programming training from Ampersand Academy.

How to Install R Programming Language? Easy 2 Mins Guide

Learn how to install R programming Language in your Windows or Linux or Mac.

Step 1: Search in Google with the keyword “R Download CRAN

Search R Download CRAN

Step 2: Click and open the Cran R Project URL

Step 2: Click and open the Cran R Project URL

Step 3: Inside the website click on the respective OS you have

Select Suitable OS

Step 4: Here we have Windows and we selected Windows as an option. Click on Install R for first time

Step 5: Download the R using the first link

Download R from the first link

Step 6: Download will begin and you can see the download status in Chrome (if you’re using Chrome) at the bottom and once after downloading, click on the exe file to open the installation file

Open Installation file

Step 7: Select English as language

R Installation – English Language

Step 8: Click on Next in General Public License section

Install R for first time

Step 9: Choose the default installation directory and click next or change the installation directory based on your preference

Select Installation Directory

Step 10: Select Core R, both 32 and 64 bit and Message Translation based on your preference

Select Options based on your system

Step 11: Accept Defaults or customize based on your preference

Select Defaults

Step 12: Click next and if you Don’t want to create a folder in Startup

Choose an option based on your preference

Step 13: Select Additional Tasks such as creating Registry entries

Registry Entries

Step 14: Wait till the installation is over

Installation in progress

Step 15: Installation is complete

How to install R
How to install R

Now that you have learnt How to install R. You can also check our tutorial on Installing SAS University. Check our 

R Programming Training.