Create and execute an R script just like perl -e to script R in a shell such as bash?

Question

I tend to use perl -e option to add Perl scripts in a shell script such as bash without creating a Perl script file.

perl -e '
while (<>) {
  print; 
}' < file

Is there a similar way of doing this for R? I want to write R scripts in a bash script but without creating an R script file.

One way is to use

R --vanilla <<RSCRIPT
a <- "hello\n"
cat(a)
RSCRIPT

Unlike perl -e, when using $, one has to prepend a backslash when to refer to a column of a table. In perl -e, we do not need to use \$ to refer to a perl variable.

score 6 · Accepted Answer · answered Aug 06 '12 at 13:42

6

Yes there is. You can use Rscript:

Rscript -e 'print("hello world")'

answered Aug 06 '12 at 13:42

johannes

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I am embarrassed by the answer. So, I can use -e option with Rscript. Thank you! – Sangcheol Choi Aug 06 '12 at 13:45
But, I could not run the following script, Rscript -e ' a – Sangcheol Choi Aug 06 '12 at 13:52
1

`Rscript -e ' a – johannes Aug 06 '12 at 13:54
I think that another possibility is found at http://stackoverflow.com/questions/750786/whats-the-best-way-to-use-r-scripts-on-the-command-line – Sangcheol Choi Aug 06 '12 at 14:02
-e doesn't work with multiple line inputs, unlike the perl version. I get "ARGUMENT 'print(a)' __ignored__" if I hit return between assign and print... – Spacedman Aug 06 '12 at 14:07

Create and execute an R script just like perl -e to script R in a shell such as bash?

1 Answers1