Description: R is an open source programming language for scientific computing. It is often the first programming language some people learn. What is typically underappreciated is the strength of the R package ecosystem. When people say they love R, what they really mean is they love the packages they use with R. In this talk we will dive into the R package ecosystem and demonstrate why it is so compelling to R users and what makes it so easy to learn. In this webinar we will discuss three use cases that highlight the utility of R packages. The first use case is building and deploying interactive web apps entirely in R – no Javascript, HTML, or CSS required. The second is generating reports, presentations, and dashboards using Markdown like syntax. The third is accessing and understanding data via an opinionated collection of R packages designed for data science. We’ll also discuss how users can call Python from R in a variety of ways.