PCH in R Programming

All PCH Symbol

PCH in R programming plays a crucial role in allowing you to customize the appearance of data points in your plots. These symbols are essentially numerical codes that represent various shapes. Each shape has a unique code, and by specifying the appropriate PCH value, you can change the shape of data points in your scatter plots and other visualizations.

Here's a breakdown of some commonly used PCH symbols and their associated shapes:

• PCH 0 - Square (■):
  Representing stability or specific data features, this shape is denoted by the code 0.
• PCH 1 - Circle (●):
  The default symbol for data points, depicted by the code 1.
• PCH 2 - Triangle Pointing Up (▲):
  With code 2, this shape signifies growth or positive trends.
• PCH 3 - Plus Sign (+):
  Indicating particular data points of interest, recognized by the code 3.
• PCH 4 - Cross (✚):
  Denoting critical intersections, symbolized by the code 4.
• PCH 5 - Diamond (♦):
  An alternative to circles or squares, represented by the code 5.
• PCH 6 - Triangle Pointing Down (▼):
  Code 6 corresponds to a triangle pointing downward, often indicating decline or negative trends.
• PCH 7 - Square Cross:
  Represented by code 7, this shape combines a square with a cross.
• PCH 8 - Star (★):
  Suitable for drawing attention to noteworthy observations, symbolized by the code 8.
• PCH 9 - Diamond Plus:
  Indicating significance or unique data points, recognizable by the code 9.
• PCH 10 - Circle Plus:
  Represented by code 10, this symbol combines a circle with a plus sign.

PCH Value for Different Shapes

To assign a specific PCH symbol to your data points, you need to specify the appropriate numerical value corresponding to the desired shape. Below is a table illustrating some common PCH values and their associated shapes:

Examples

To better understand the practical applications of PCH in R programming, let's explore a couple of illustrative examples that showcase how PCH symbols can be used to enhance data visualizations.

Example - 1: Visualizing Competitors' Performance

Imagine you have a dataset containing the performance metrics of different competitors in a market. You want to create a scatter plot that showcases both their sales and profit figures. By using different PCH symbols for each competitor, you can distinguish them effectively. Let's see how this can be achieved:

Output:

In this example, each competitor is represented by a different PCH symbol, making it easy to identify their positions on the plot.

Example - 2: Analyzing Customer Ratings

Suppose you have customer ratings for three different products, and you want to compare their performance. You can use PCH symbols to represent each product's ratings visually:

Output:

In this case, a scatter plot is created where each product's rating is represented by a different PCH symbol. The x-axis corresponds to the different products, and the y-axis represents the ratings. By specifying pch = 1:3, we assign distinct PCH symbols to each product's data point.

Example - 3: Time Series Analysis

For time series data, PCH symbols can be used to mark specific data points or events. Consider stock prices over time:

Output:

Here, PCH symbols (in this case, filled circles) mark events that influenced stock prices.

Example - 4: Categorical Data Visualization with Colorful PCH Symbols

Suppose you have survey data that categorizes responses into three different sentiment levels: positive, neutral, and negative. You want to create a scatter plot that displays these sentiments, and you'd like to use colorful PCH symbols to make the plot visually appealing and informative.

Output: