How to R code faster with ChatGPT

Written by Matt Dancho


Writing code is a slow process especially when you are first learning data science. What if you could speed it up? You can and this is how. In this free R-tip, I share a real case study where I made the working R code for my data analysis in under 30 seconds with ChatGPT.

Table of Contents

Today I share how to automate R coding with ChatGPT. Here’s what you’re learning today:

  • ChatGPT Prompts: The mistake you’ll make and how to get ChatGPT to write your code correctly.
  • 2-Minute Case Study: How I connecte to an API, Downloaded Data, and Visualized on a Map with ChatGPT.
  • Bonus: Sneak Peek At My NEW Shiny App that extends this ChatGPT tutorial

ChatGPT Made This Shiny App

SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT: How To Become A 6-Figure Business Scientist (Even In A Recession) on June 28th

Inside the workshop I’ll share how to become exactly what companies need right now (and earn 17% more than a data scientist):

Business Scientist

What: How To Become A 6-Figure Business Scientist (Even In A Recession)

When: Wednesday June 28th, 2pm EST

How It Will Help You: Data science in 2023 has changed. The 10+ person data science team is out. And the one-person Business Scientist is in. I’ll show you how to become a 1-person data science team inside my LIVE 6-figure business scientist masterclass.

Price: Does Free sound good?

How To Join: 👉 Register Here

R-Tips Weekly

This article is part of R-Tips Weekly, a weekly video tutorial that shows you step-by-step how to do common R coding tasks. Pretty cool, right?

Here are the links to get set up. 👇

This Tutorial is Available in Video

I have a companion video tutorial that walks you through how to use chatGPT for this analysis. And, I’m finding that a lot of my students prefer the dialogue that goes along with coding. So check out this video to see me running the code in this tutorial. 👇

ChatGPT: And the Importance of Your Prompts

In my last R-Tip, I showed you how ChatGPT I made a full R Shiny App in under 10-minutes. That was insane!

But, after that R-tip, I felt a bit of a let down.

I began to try more and more complex stuff.

  • I failed building high-end Shiny apps.
  • I failed doing machine learning and integrating it into apps.
  • And I got so frustrated that I even made a learning lab 82: ChatGPT for Data Scientists, where I showed every mistake I made in building a Production Shiny App (including the prompts, the 11 things I needed to fix in a live workshop, plus my debugging process).

But, now I’m 12 weeks into chatGPT and I’ve realized 1 thing…

How important chatgpt prompting is.

Take a look at this prompt. It’s just 2 sentences:

ChatGPT Prompt

Looks fairly straightforward, but I need to show you why this prompt works (and what mistakes I was making in the last 11 weeks of using ChatGPT).

Chatgpt Prompt Guide (for R users)

The mistake I was making was not being specific enough in directing chatgpt what R code I want it to write for me.

If you look at what I’m doing now…

ChatGPT Prompt Guide for R Users

…I specify:

  • Which R Libraries <– always do this
  • For this case study I want to know locations of all business types in a certain area:
    • Which Business Types
    • Which Geographic Location

And it generates the code for me:

ChatGPT Code OSMdata Example

Steal my code (it's legal).

Does the code work?

A big problem that data scientists are facing is that chatgpt code isn’t working out of the box.

So let’s test the code. I ran it….

Does the ChatGPT code work?

Steal my code (it's legal).

… And, it runs!

But, here’s the problem…

Will your ChatGPT code work?

The answer depends on how well you know the R ecosystem and can specify exactly what you want.

Question: Are you struggling with any of these tasks?

  • Writing R code
  • Doing business analysis
  • Building solutions that company’s want
  • Making a project portfolio for yourself
  • Making solutions for your company

Then I have a free bonus:

SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT: How To Become A 6-Figure Business Scientist (Even In A Recession) on June 28th

Inside the workshop I’ll share how to become exactly what companies need right now (and earn 17% more than a data scientist):

Business Scientist

What: How To Become A 6-Figure Business Scientist (Even In A Recession)

When: Wednesday June 28th, 2pm EST

How It Will Help You: Data science in 2023 has changed. The 10+ person data science team is out. And the one-person Business Scientist is in. I’ll show you how to become a 1-person data science team inside my LIVE 6-figure business scientist masterclass.

Price: Does Free sound good?

How To Join: 👉 Register Here

See you there!

-Matt Dancho