R help - Nov 2012 - Start R from bash/bat file and end in interactive mode

I have a r-script (rook.R) that starts a Rook server. To present users  
from having to start R and type in source("rook.R"), I want to create
a bash script and bat file that starts R and sources the script.  
However, to keep the Rook server running R should not close after  
running the script and stay in interactive mode. This proves more  
difficult than expected.

I tried various combinations of commandline parameters and pipes, but  
none of them seem to work:

$R -f rook.R --interactive
Runs and quits

$ cat rook.R | R
Fatal error: you must specify '--save', '--no-save' or
'--vanilla'

$cat rook.R | R --no-save
Runs and quits

$R --no-save < rook.R
Runs and quits

$R --no-save --interactive < rook.R
Runs and quits

I would have expected the --interactive parameter to do what I want,  
but it doesn't seem to do anything.

What does work is to create a .Rprofile with sourc("rook.R") in it in
the directory and then start R (just plain R). However I don't find  
this a very elegant solution. I could of create the .Rprofile file in  
the bash script which is somewhat better, but still not very elegant.  
I end up with the following bash script:

#!/bin/bash
echo "source(\"rook.R\")" > .Rprofile
R

Another, not very elegant, possible solution which I haven't tried is  
to start a while loop at the end of the script with a sleep command in  
it.

Does there exist a better solution?

Regards,

Jan

one way could be:

$ cat rook.R | R --interactive

but with a little different console behaviour

the problem in your other examples is, that
R uses only the first appearing switch of:

--interactive, --f, -e, --vanilla, --no-save, ...

the switches cannot be combined

On Thu, Nov 01, 2012 at 09:14:09AM +0100, Jan van der Laan
wrote:
> 
> I have a r-script (rook.R) that starts a Rook server. To present users  
> from having to start R and type in source("rook.R"), I want to
create
> a bash script and bat file that starts R and sources the script.  
> However, to keep the Rook server running R should not close after  
> running the script and stay in interactive mode. This proves more  
> difficult than expected.
> 
> I tried various combinations of commandline parameters and pipes, but  
> none of them seem to work:
> 
> $R -f rook.R --interactive
> Runs and quits
> 
> $ cat rook.R | R
> Fatal error: you must specify '--save', '--no-save' or
'--vanilla'
> 
> $cat rook.R | R --no-save
> Runs and quits
> 
> $R --no-save < rook.R
> Runs and quits
> 
> $R --no-save --interactive < rook.R
> Runs and quits
> 
> I would have expected the --interactive parameter to do what I want,  
> but it doesn't seem to do anything.
> 
> What does work is to create a .Rprofile with sourc("rook.R") in
it in
> the directory and then start R (just plain R). However I don't find  
> this a very elegant solution. I could of create the .Rprofile file in  
> the bash script which is somewhat better, but still not very elegant.  
> I end up with the following bash script:
> 
> #!/bin/bash
> echo "source(\"rook.R\")" > .Rprofile
> R
> 
> Another, not very elegant, possible solution which I haven't tried is  
> to start a while loop at the end of the script with a sleep command in  
> it.
> 
> Does there exist a better solution?
> 
> Regards,
> 
> Jan
> 
> ______________________________________________
> R-help at r-project.org mailing list
> https://stat.ethz.ch/mailman/listinfo/r-help
> PLEASE do read the posting guide
http://www.R-project.org/posting-guide.html
> and provide commented, minimal, self-contained, reproducible code.

another working Example:

{ echo  "print( 1)"; cat;} | R --interactive

but do not end with <ctrl>-D, it overrides the 
"save workspace" question; use q() instead

there is an additional echo where i don't know
how to avoid them

On Thu, Nov 01, 2012 at 09:14:09AM +0100, Jan van der Laan
wrote:
> 
> I have a r-script (rook.R) that starts a Rook server. To present users  
> from having to start R and type in source("rook.R"), I want to
create
> a bash script and bat file that starts R and sources the script.  
> However, to keep the Rook server running R should not close after  
> running the script and stay in interactive mode. This proves more  
> difficult than expected.
> 
> I tried various combinations of commandline parameters and pipes, but  
> none of them seem to work:
> 
> $R -f rook.R --interactive
> Runs and quits
> 
> $ cat rook.R | R
> Fatal error: you must specify '--save', '--no-save' or
'--vanilla'
> 
> $cat rook.R | R --no-save
> Runs and quits
> 
> $R --no-save < rook.R
> Runs and quits
> 
> $R --no-save --interactive < rook.R
> Runs and quits
> 
> I would have expected the --interactive parameter to do what I want,  
> but it doesn't seem to do anything.
> 
> What does work is to create a .Rprofile with sourc("rook.R") in
it in
> the directory and then start R (just plain R). However I don't find  
> this a very elegant solution. I could of create the .Rprofile file in  
> the bash script which is somewhat better, but still not very elegant.  
> I end up with the following bash script:
> 
> #!/bin/bash
> echo "source(\"rook.R\")" > .Rprofile
> R
> 
> Another, not very elegant, possible solution which I haven't tried is  
> to start a while loop at the end of the script with a sleep command in  
> it.
> 
> Does there exist a better solution?
> 
> Regards,
> 
> Jan
> 
> ______________________________________________
> R-help at r-project.org mailing list
> https://stat.ethz.ch/mailman/listinfo/r-help
> PLEASE do read the posting guide
http://www.R-project.org/posting-guide.html
> and provide commented, minimal, self-contained, reproducible code.

On 12-11-01 4:14 AM, Jan van der Laan wrote:
>
> I have a r-script (rook.R) that starts a Rook server. To present users
> from having to start R and type in source("rook.R"), I want to
create
> a bash script and bat file that starts R and sources the script.
> However, to keep the Rook server running R should not close after
> running the script and stay in interactive mode. This proves more
> difficult than expected.
>
> I tried various combinations of commandline parameters and pipes, but
> none of them seem to work:
>
> $R -f rook.R --interactive
> Runs and quits
>
> $ cat rook.R | R
> Fatal error: you must specify '--save', '--no-save' or
'--vanilla'
>
> $cat rook.R | R --no-save
> Runs and quits
>
> $R --no-save < rook.R
> Runs and quits
>
> $R --no-save --interactive < rook.R
> Runs and quits
>
> I would have expected the --interactive parameter to do what I want,
> but it doesn't seem to do anything.
>
> What does work is to create a .Rprofile with sourc("rook.R") in
it in
> the directory and then start R (just plain R). However I don't find
> this a very elegant solution. I could of create the .Rprofile file in
> the bash script which is somewhat better, but still not very elegant.
> I end up with the following bash script:
>
> #!/bin/bash
> echo "source(\"rook.R\")" > .Rprofile
> R
>
> Another, not very elegant, possible solution which I haven't tried is
> to start a while loop at the end of the script with a sleep command in
> it.
>
> Does there exist a better solution?
Yes, don't use a script, use a package.  Packages can run startup code 
when they load.  Then include your package among those loaded by 
default.  See the ?options help on defaultPackages for how to do that 
via environment variable.

Duncan Murdoch