What is a reprex and why is it useful?


  • Applying some “code first aid” can help address problems in your code.Add commentMore actions
  • Helpers can more easily debug your code if you provide them with a small example of the problem (a “reprex”) that they can tinker with themselves.
  • In the process of building a reprex, you may find the solution yourself.
  • In the rest of this lesson, we will be working through a “road map” to getting unstuck that includes code first aid and the process of making a reprex.
  • The surveys dataset includes records of rodents captured in a variety of experimental plots over a 12-year period, including some data about each rodent’s sex and morphology.

Identify the problem and make a plan


Minimal reproducible codeMaking a reprex


  • Making a reprex is the next step after trying code first aid.
  • In order to make a good reprex, it is important to simplify your code
  • Simplify code by removing parts not directly related to the question
  • Give helpers access to the functions used in your code by loading all necessary packages

Minimal reproducible data


  • A minimal reproducible dataset contains (a) the minimum number of lines, variables, and categories, in the correct format, to replicate your issue; and (b) it must be fully reproducible, meaning that someone else can access or run the same code to reproduce the dataset needed for your reprex.
  • To make it accessible, you can create a dataset from scratch using as.data.frame, you can use an R dataset like cars, or you can use a subset of your own dataset and then use dput() to generate reproducible code.

Asking your question


  • The reprex package makes it easy to format and share your reproducible examples.
  • The reprex package helps you test whether your reprex is reproducible, and also helps you prepare the reprex to share with others.
  • Following a certain set of steps will make your questions clearer and likelier to get answered.