Difference between data.frame and matrix in R programming

In R programming, the main difference between the terms data.frame and matrix lies in their structure and functionality.

A matrix in R is a two-dimensional structure that contains elements of the same data type, arranged in rows and columns. This means that all elements in a matrix must be of the same data type.

On the other hand, a data.frame is also a two-dimensional structure but it can contain elements of different data types in its columns. This makes data.frames more versatile for handling heterogeneous data compared to matrices.

When performing data analysis in R, the choice between using a matrix or a data.frame depends on the nature of the data and the type of analysis being conducted.

Overall, while matrices are more rigid in terms of data type consistency, data.frames provide flexibility to work with diverse data sets in R programming.