Designing OOP R
This skill covers object-oriented programming in R, including S7, S3, S4, and vctrs-based classes.
Decision Tree: What Are You Building?
1. Vector-like objects (behave like atomic vectors)
Use vctrs when:
- Need data frame integration (columns/rows)
- Want type-stable vector operations
- Building factor-like, date-like, or numeric-like classes
- Need consistent coercion/casting behavior
- Working with existing tidyverse infrastructure
Examples: custom date classes, units, categorical data
2. General objects (complex data structures, not vector-like)
Use S7 when:
- NEW projects that need formal classes
- Want property validation and safe property access (
@) - Need multiple dispatch (beyond S3's double dispatch)
- Converting from S3 and want better structure
- Building class hierarchies with inheritance
- Want better error messages and discoverability
Use S3 when:
- Simple classes with minimal structure needs
- Maximum compatibility and minimal dependencies
- Quick prototyping or internal classes
- Contributing to existing S3-based ecosystems
- Performance is absolutely critical (minimal overhead)
Use S4 when:
- Working in Bioconductor ecosystem
- Need complex multiple inheritance (S7 doesn't support this)
- Existing S4 codebase that works well
S7 vs S3 Comparison
| Feature | S3 | S7 | When S7 wins |
|---|---|---|---|
| Class definition | Informal (convention) | Formal (new_class()) | Need guaranteed structure |
| Property access | $ or attr() (unsafe) | @ (safe, validated) | Property validation matters |
| Validation | Manual, inconsistent | Built-in validators | Data integrity important |
| Method discovery | Hard to find methods | Clear method printing | Developer experience matters |
| Multiple dispatch | Limited (base generics) | Full multiple dispatch | Complex method dispatch needed |
| Inheritance | Informal, NextMethod() | Explicit super() | Predictable inheritance needed |
| Migration cost | - | Low (1-2 hours) | Want better structure |
| Performance | Fastest | ~Same as S3 | Performance difference negligible |
| Compatibility | Full S3 | Full S3 + S7 | Need both old and new patterns |
S7: Modern OOP
S7 combines S3 simplicity with S4 structure. See s7-examples.md for:
- Class definitions with
new_class() - Property validation
- Generic and method definition
- Inheritance with
parent
S3: Simple Classes
See s3-examples.md for:
- Constructor functions
- Print and format methods
- Simple class patterns
Practical Guidelines
Choose S7 when you have:
See when-s7.md for:
- Complex validation needs
- Multiple dispatch needs
- Class hierarchies with clear inheritance
Choose vctrs when you need:
See when-vctrs.md for:
- Vector-like behavior in data frames
- Type-stable operations
Choose S3 when you have:
See when-s3.md for:
- Simple classes without complex needs
- Maximum performance needs (rare)
- Existing S3 ecosystem contributions
Migration Strategy
- S3 → S7: Usually 1-2 hours work, keeps full compatibility
- S4 → S7: More complex, evaluate if S4 features are actually needed
- Base R → vctrs: For vector-like classes, significant benefits
- Combining approaches: S7 classes can use vctrs principles internally
source: Sarah Johnson's gist https://gist.github.com/sj-io/3828d64d0969f2a0f05297e59e6c15ad
