Pros of bookdown

• Focused on creating books and long-form documentation
• Supports multiple output formats (HTML, PDF, ePub)
• Extensive customization options for book structure and appearance

Cons of bookdown

• Steeper learning curve for non-technical users
• Less emphasis on data science concepts and practical examples
• Requires more setup and configuration for basic usage

Code Comparison

r4ds:

library(tidyverse)
ggplot(mpg, aes(displ, hwy, colour = class)) + 
  geom_point()

bookdown:

bookdown::render_book("index.Rmd", "bookdown::gitbook")

Summary

r4ds is a comprehensive guide to data science with R, offering practical examples and exercises. bookdown, on the other hand, is a powerful tool for creating books and long-form documentation with R Markdown. While r4ds focuses on teaching data science concepts, bookdown provides a framework for authoring and publishing content in various formats. The choice between the two depends on whether you're looking to learn data science or create documentation and books using R.

Pros of rmarkdown

• Focused on a specific tool for literate programming and reproducible research
• More comprehensive documentation on R Markdown features and syntax
• Actively maintained by RStudio, ensuring compatibility with their IDE

Cons of rmarkdown

• Narrower scope, primarily covering R Markdown functionality
• Less emphasis on general data science concepts and workflows
• May be less accessible for complete beginners to R and data analysis

Code Comparison

r4ds example:

ggplot(data = mpg) + 
  geom_point(mapping = aes(x = displ, y = hwy, color = class))

rmarkdown example:

---
title: "My Report"
output: html_document
---

```{r}
summary(cars)

### Summary

r4ds is a comprehensive resource for learning data science with R, covering a wide range of topics and tools. rmarkdown, on the other hand, focuses specifically on R Markdown, providing in-depth documentation and examples for creating dynamic documents. While r4ds offers a broader introduction to data science concepts, rmarkdown is more suitable for those looking to master R Markdown for reproducible research and report generation.