The Basics of S and S-PLUS

Book excerpt: A lucid explanation of the basics of S-PLUS at a level suitable for users with little computing or statistical knowledge. Unlike the S-PLUS manuals, the book does not strive to be comprehensive, but instead introduces the most important ideas of S-PLUS through the use of many examples. Each chapter includes a collection of exercises that are accompanied by fully worked-out solutions and detailed comments, and the whole is rounded off with practical hints on how to work efficiently in S-PLUS, making it well-suited for both self-study and as a textbook. This second edition has been updated to incorporate the completely revised S Language and its implementation in S-PLUS, while new chapters have been added to explain the Windows GUI, how to explore relationships in data using the powerful Trellis graphics system, and how to understand and use object-oriented programming. In addition, the programming chapter has been extended to cover some of the more technical but important aspects of S-PLUS.