We are continuing our post series on S3 object orientation and interoperability in R. We have previously discussed what makes a good S3 class and how to choose a good parent for it, as well as when to write or not write a custom method. We have highlighted in particular how classes inheriting from data.frames can simplify user experience because of familiarity, and reduce developer workload due to the pre-existing S3 methods.

I have recently published a series of blog posts on the reasons why one may want to start using object-oriented programming (and more specifically R S3 classes) to improve interoperability with other tools from the ecosystem. But there are still questions I have not addressed directly, even if they may have been implicitly included sometimes: what makes a good object class? What good practices in class &

Open data is a well-defined concept but in the public sector, there is some difficult work ahead for its digital curation. Although the support and production of open data from governments around the world varies (with many not yet supporting it at all) there are clear movements to encourage and grow open government data initiatives.

Lead by researchers at the University of Oxford, a group of more than 30 scientific organizations around the globe, have worked to produce a common standard that will make possible the consistent description of enormous and radically different databases compiled in fields ranging from genetics to stem cell science, to environmental studies.