name: r-python-translation description: >- R-to-Python translation for data analysis. Maps R packages (tidyverse, ggplot2, fixest, survey, sf, plm) to Python equivalents (polars, plotnine, pyfixest, svy, geopandas). Use when user has R background or requests R-equivalent code comments. metadata: audience: research-coders domain: research-methodology skill-last-updated: "2026-03-28"

R-to-Python Translation Skill

R-to-Python translation reference for quantitative social science data analysis. Maps R ecosystem packages (tidyverse/dplyr, ggplot2, fixest, survey, sf, plm, lme4, marginaleffects, rdrobust) to DAAF Python equivalents (polars, plotnine, pyfixest, statsmodels, linearmodels, svy, geopandas). Use when user mentions R/RStudio background, requests R-equivalent code comments, needs to understand Python analysis code from an R perspective, or wants to translate R data analysis concepts to Python. Covers paradigm differences, verb-by-verb operation translations, regression modeling, causal inference, visualization, and workflow adaptation.

Cross-language translation reference for researchers moving between the R and Python data analysis ecosystems. This skill maps R packages, idioms, and workflows to their DAAF Python equivalents so that R-background users can audit, understand, and learn from DAAF-produced code, and so that code-producing agents can annotate their output with R equivalents when directed.

This skill is a routing hub — it provides overview tables, decision trees, and directs readers to the detailed reference files listed below. The reference files contain the exhaustive verb-by-verb mappings, code examples, and edge-case documentation.

What This Skill Does

• Maps the R data analysis ecosystem to DAAF's Python stack across data wrangling, modeling, visualization, causal inference, surveys, spatial analysis, and workflow tooling
• Provides a structured annotation protocol for agents to add inline R-equivalent comments to Python code
• Identifies paradigm gaps where R and Python diverge fundamentally, so users know where to expect friction

Use cases:

1. R user auditing DAAF Python code and needing to understand what operations are being performed
2. Agent annotating code with R-equivalent comments for an R-background researcher
3. R user learning Python for data analysis and needing a conceptual bridge
4. Translating a specific R operation or idiom to its Python equivalent
5. Understanding where R tools have no direct Python equivalent (and what the workaround is)

How to Use This Skill

Reference File Structure

Each topic in ./references/ contains focused documentation:

Reading Order

1. R user auditing DAAF code: paradigm-differences.md then the relevant domain file (e.g., polars-dplyr.md for data wrangling, regression-modeling.md for models) then gotchas.md
2. Agent annotating code with R equivalents: Agent Code Annotation Protocol section below, then the relevant domain file for the code being annotated
3. Learning Python from R background: paradigm-differences.md then polars-dplyr.md then workflow-environment.md then external-resources.md
4. Looking up a specific translation: Quick Decision Trees below, then the relevant reference file

Quick Decision Trees

"How do I do X from R in Python?"

What kind of R operation?
├─ Data wrangling (filter, mutate, join, pivot, summarise)
│   └─ ./references/polars-dplyr.md
├─ Regression / statistical modeling
│   └─ ./references/regression-modeling.md
├─ Plotting / visualization
│   └─ ./references/visualization.md
├─ Causal inference (DiD, RDD, IV, event studies)
│   └─ ./references/causal-inference.md
├─ Surveys / spatial / machine learning
│   └─ ./references/survey-spatial-ml.md
└─ Fundamental language differences (types, syntax, environment)
    └─ ./references/paradigm-differences.md

"Why does this Python code look different from R?"

What looks unfamiliar?
├─ Expression syntax (pl.col().method().alias())
│   └─ ./references/paradigm-differences.md
├─ Missing values (None vs NaN vs null vs NA)
│   └─ ./references/paradigm-differences.md
├─ Formula interface (~) behaves differently
│   └─ ./references/regression-modeling.md
├─ Import patterns and namespacing
│   └─ ./references/gotchas.md
└─ No interactive REPL / console workflow
    └─ ./references/workflow-environment.md

"I want to translate an R script to Python"

What does the R script do?
├─ Loads and wrangles data (read_csv, dplyr verbs)
│   └─ ./references/polars-dplyr.md
├─ Runs regressions (lm, feols, plm)
│   └─ ./references/regression-modeling.md
├─ Creates plots (ggplot, plotly)
│   └─ ./references/visualization.md
├─ Uses survey weights (svydesign, svymean)
│   └─ ./references/survey-spatial-ml.md
├─ Spatial operations (sf, st_join)
│   └─ ./references/survey-spatial-ml.md
├─ Multiple of the above
│   └─ Start with ./references/paradigm-differences.md, then each relevant file
└─ Uses a package not listed above
    └─ ./references/external-resources.md for broader ecosystem guidance

"Something isn't working and I think it's an R habit"

What went wrong?
├─ 1-indexed access gave wrong element
│   └─ ./references/gotchas.md
├─ Factor/categorical behaves differently
│   └─ ./references/gotchas.md
├─ NA handling surprised me
│   └─ ./references/paradigm-differences.md
├─ Pipe operator (|> or %>%) not available
│   └─ ./references/paradigm-differences.md
├─ library() vs import confusion
│   └─ ./references/gotchas.md
└─ Model output structure is different
    └─ ./references/regression-modeling.md

"Which Python package replaces my R package?"

Which R package?
├─ dplyr / tidyr / readr / tibble → polars
│   └─ ./references/polars-dplyr.md
├─ ggplot2 → plotnine
│   └─ ./references/visualization.md
├─ plotly (R) → plotly (Python)
│   └─ ./references/visualization.md
├─ fixest → pyfixest
│   └─ ./references/regression-modeling.md
├─ stats (lm, glm) → statsmodels
│   └─ ./references/regression-modeling.md
├─ plm / lme4 / estimatr → linearmodels
│   └─ ./references/regression-modeling.md
├─ survey → svy
│   └─ ./references/survey-spatial-ml.md
├─ sf / terra → geopandas
│   └─ ./references/survey-spatial-ml.md
├─ tidymodels / caret → scikit-learn
│   └─ ./references/survey-spatial-ml.md
├─ marginaleffects → marginaleffects (Python)
│   └─ ./references/regression-modeling.md
├─ rdrobust / did / synthdid → rdrobust / pyfixest DiD
│   └─ ./references/causal-inference.md
└─ Quarto / RMarkdown → marimo
    └─ ./references/workflow-environment.md

Package Mapping Overview

Fidelity key: High = near-direct translation, same mental model. Medium = same capability, different API patterns. Low = fundamentally different paradigm requiring conceptual remapping.

Library Versions

Translations in this skill reference specific library versions. Python versions are pinned in DAAF's Docker environment (Python 3.12). R versions reference CRAN releases as of March 2026. When syntax or behavior has changed between versions, the reference files note the change.

Unpinned packages: linearmodels, marginaleffects, and rdrobust install the latest version at Docker build time. Translations for these packages reference their documented API as of March 2026.

R version note: R package versions are from CRAN as of March 2026 (R 4.5.3). Check packageVersion("pkg") in your R installation to verify your local version matches.

Top 10 Paradigm Differences

These are the friction points R users encounter most frequently when reading or writing DAAF Python code. Each is covered in depth in the referenced file.

Agent Code Annotation Protocol

This section defines when and how code-producing agents add inline R-equivalent comments to DAAF Python scripts.

When to Annotate

Annotations are added only when the orchestrator explicitly passes an R-background directive to the agent. This is not a default behavior.

Trigger conditions (orchestrator activates this when any apply):

• User states they have an R / RStudio background
• User requests R-equivalent comments in code
• User asks to understand Python code from an R perspective

How the orchestrator passes the directive: The orchestrator adds the following to the agent prompt:

"User has R background. Load r-python-translation skill. Add inline R-equivalent comments for non-trivial data operations."

Comment Format

# R: df %>% filter(year == 2020)
filtered = df.filter(pl.col("year") == 2020)

# R: df %>% mutate(pct = count / sum(count))
result = df.with_columns(
    (pl.col("count") / pl.col("count").sum()).alias("pct")
)

# R: feols(y ~ x1 + x2 | state + year, data = df, cluster = ~state)
fit = pf.feols("y ~ x1 + x2 | state + year", data=pdf, vcov={"CRV1": "state"})

What to Annotate

• Annotate: Data wrangling (polars operations), modeling calls (pyfixest, statsmodels, linearmodels), visualization layer construction (plotnine, plotly), causal inference method calls
• Do NOT annotate: Import statements, print()/assert validation lines, file I/O boilerplate (pl.read_parquet, df.write_parquet), config sections, section separator comments

Rules

• One # R: comment per logical operation, placed on the line immediately above the Python code
• Keep annotations to a single line; abbreviate complex R pipelines if needed
• R annotations are in addition to standard IAT comments (# INTENT:, # REASONING:, # ASSUMES:), not a replacement
• Consumer agents: research-executor, code-reviewer, debugger, data-ingest

Related Skills

Note: Individual tool skills contain library-specific usage guidance (syntax, gotchas, performance). This skill provides the R-to-Python conceptual bridge — use both together when an R-background user is working with a specific library.

Topic Index