When you work with data in R, you often need to move information between different sessions or share it with others. A common workflow is to export your data to an Excel file and then later import that file back into R. This process is especially useful when you want to verify that your exported data can be read correctly or when collaborating with colleagues who also use Excel files. After exporting your data frame to Excel in the previous chapter, you can immediately practice importing it back into R, ensuring the workflow is smooth and reliable.

# Load the readxl package
library(readxl)

# Import the Excel file created earlier using write_xlsx()
data_excel_imported <- read_excel("my_data.xlsx")

The read_excel() function from the readxl package allows you to import Excel files directly into R. In this workflow, after you export your data frame to an Excel file using a function like write_xlsx(), you can use read_excel("my_data.xlsx") to read that file and assign it to a new variable, such as data_excel_imported. This ensures that the data you exported can be brought back into your R session in its original structure, making it easy to continue your analysis or share your work with others who use Excel. The ability to export and then import data within the same session helps you confirm that your data handling process is consistent and effective.