dplyr::glimpse(): Prettier than str()

dataframes
summarizing
Author

Aaron Braver

Published

June 26, 2023

Instead of str(df) to see the structure of a dataframe, try dplyr::glimpse()1 instead. It gives a horizontal output and shows more data than fits with str():

dplyr::glimpse(palmerpenguins::penguins)
Rows: 344
Columns: 8
$ species           <fct> Adelie, Adelie, Adelie, Adelie, Adelie, Adelie, Adel…
$ island            <fct> Torgersen, Torgersen, Torgersen, Torgersen, Torgerse…
$ bill_length_mm    <dbl> 39.1, 39.5, 40.3, NA, 36.7, 39.3, 38.9, 39.2, 34.1, …
$ bill_depth_mm     <dbl> 18.7, 17.4, 18.0, NA, 19.3, 20.6, 17.8, 19.6, 18.1, …
$ flipper_length_mm <int> 181, 186, 195, NA, 193, 190, 181, 195, 193, 190, 186…
$ body_mass_g       <int> 3750, 3800, 3250, NA, 3450, 3650, 3625, 4675, 3475, …
$ sex               <fct> male, female, female, NA, female, male, female, male…
$ year              <int> 2007, 2007, 2007, 2007, 2007, 2007, 2007, 2007, 2007…

You can also force more data to be shown with the width option:

dplyr::glimpse(palmerpenguins::penguins, width = 200)
Rows: 344
Columns: 8
$ species           <fct> Adelie, Adelie, Adelie, Adelie, Adelie, Adelie, Adelie, Adelie, Adelie, Adelie, Adelie, Adelie, Adelie, Adelie, Adelie, Adelie, Adelie, Adelie, Adelie, Adelie, Adelie, Adel…
$ island            <fct> Torgersen, Torgersen, Torgersen, Torgersen, Torgersen, Torgersen, Torgersen, Torgersen, Torgersen, Torgersen, Torgersen, Torgersen, Torgersen, Torgersen, Torgersen, Torgers…
$ bill_length_mm    <dbl> 39.1, 39.5, 40.3, NA, 36.7, 39.3, 38.9, 39.2, 34.1, 42.0, 37.8, 37.8, 41.1, 38.6, 34.6, 36.6, 38.7, 42.5, 34.4, 46.0, 37.8, 37.7, 35.9, 38.2, 38.8, 35.3, 40.6, 40.5, 37.9, …
$ bill_depth_mm     <dbl> 18.7, 17.4, 18.0, NA, 19.3, 20.6, 17.8, 19.6, 18.1, 20.2, 17.1, 17.3, 17.6, 21.2, 21.1, 17.8, 19.0, 20.7, 18.4, 21.5, 18.3, 18.7, 19.2, 18.1, 17.2, 18.9, 18.6, 17.9, 18.6, …
$ flipper_length_mm <int> 181, 186, 195, NA, 193, 190, 181, 195, 193, 190, 186, 180, 182, 191, 198, 185, 195, 197, 184, 194, 174, 180, 189, 185, 180, 187, 183, 187, 172, 180, 178, 178, 188, 184, 195…
$ body_mass_g       <int> 3750, 3800, 3250, NA, 3450, 3650, 3625, 4675, 3475, 4250, 3300, 3700, 3200, 3800, 4400, 3700, 3450, 4500, 3325, 4200, 3400, 3600, 3800, 3950, 3800, 3800, 3550, 3200, 3150, …
$ sex               <fct> male, female, female, NA, female, male, female, male, NA, NA, NA, NA, female, male, male, female, female, male, female, male, female, male, female, male, male, female, male…
$ year              <int> 2007, 2007, 2007, 2007, 2007, 2007, 2007, 2007, 2007, 2007, 2007, 2007, 2007, 2007, 2007, 2007, 2007, 2007, 2007, 2007, 2007, 2007, 2007, 2007, 2007, 2007, 2007, 2007, 2007…

Footnotes

  1. Technically, glimpse is from the pillar package, but it’s re-exported by dplyr, which I usually have loaded anyway.↩︎