Analysing PostgreSQL Data in R

This repository contains code and instructions for connecting to a PostgreSQL database and performing data analysis using R, as explained in the article by Linus Chirchir.

Table of Contents

• Introduction
• Prerequisites
• Installation
• Connecting to PostgreSQL
• Querying and Analysing Data
• Customisation
• License

Introduction

This project demonstrates how to connect to a PostgreSQL database from R and perform data analysis using popular R packages like DBI, RPostgres, and dplyr. The repository includes example scripts that guide you through querying data and conducting basic analysis, making it a useful resource for data scientists and analysts who work with PostgreSQL.

Prerequisites

Before you begin, ensure you have the following installed:

• R (version 3.6 or later)
• RStudio (optional, but recommended for ease of use)
• PostgreSQL database (local or remote)
• Necessary R packages: DBI, RPostgres, dplyr

Installation

First, install the required R packages:

install.packages(c("DBI", "RPostgres", "dplyr"))

Fork the repository:

• Go to the repository page on GitHub: https://github.com/linuschirchir/Analysing-PostgreSQL-Data-in-R.git
• Click "Fork" in the top-right corner to copy the repository to your GitHub account.

Clone your forked repository to your local machine:

git clone https://github.com/<your-GitHub-username>/Analysing-PostgreSQL-Data-in-R.git
cd Analysing-PostgreSQL-Data-in-R

Connecting to PostgreSQL

The main script for connecting to the PostgreSQL database is included in the connect_to_db.R file. You can run this script in your R environment:

source("connect_to_db.R")

This script sets up a connection to your PostgreSQL database, allowing you to execute SQL queries directly from R.

Querying and Analysing Data

Once connected, you can use the query_and_analyse.R script to retrieve and analyse data. This script demonstrates how to:

• Write and execute SQL queries in R
• Manipulate and analyse the retrieved data using dplyr
• Visualise results with basic plotting functions

Run the script as follows:

source("query_and_analyse.R")

Customisation

Feel free to customise the scripts to suit your needs:

• SQL Queries: Modify the SQL queries in the scripts to retrieve different data or perform more complex operations.
• Analysis Techniques: Add or change the analysis techniques using other R packages or custom functions.
• Visualisations: Incorporate more advanced visualisations using packages like ggplot2 or plotly.

License

This project is licensed under the MIT License - see the LICENSE file for details.

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Happy analysing!