13 Classes
All the data structures discussed are also known as an object’s class. While R has many predefined classes, it is flexible to create new classes. Many packages define their own classes of objects. This can be beneficial for organizational purposes as well as to build custom functions for specialized analysis.
This is a high level concept to be aware of. Bioconductor for example has many specialized classes related to genomic research. An overview of some of those classes can be found at Introduction to Bioconductor Classes.
If time permits we’ll come back to showing how custom and more complex classes, while intimidating to learn at first, can be really beneficial and help prevent careless errors if designed correctly.