How to Call Python from R in a Windows OS?

Question

I'm looking for a way to call python within R on a Windows operating system. Since there appears to be no readily available R package for this (at least no package that's been updated recently), I'm looking for leads on how to write a set of commands in an R script that can then be sent in batch mode to python.

In short, how can I call python from R in a Windows OS?

Edit: To clarify, I am not asking about calling R from python; rather I am asking about calling python from R.

Update: Based on what I've gathered so far, here's a basic set of commands on running python from R in a Windows OS:

# (1) basic python commands called from R
system('python -c "a = 2 + 2; print a"') 
system('python -c "a = \'hello world\' ; print a; import pandas"')

# (2) if you have a python file you've already created (which I've referred to as "my.py"), then you can run it in R as follows:
system("python C:\\Users\\Name\\Desktop\\my.py")

# or alternatively:
system('python -c "import sys; sys.path.append(\'C:\\Users\\Name\\Desktop\'); import my;"')

Neither of these approaches is at the level of interactivity needed for fluid data analysis using python in R on a Windows OS. The most straightforward solution might be to write a simple R function that (1) exports a specified R data frame to python, (2) parses python syntax written in R (using stringr and system('python -c')), and then (3) optionally exports the data back to R. It'd be a pseudo-interactivity in R based on updating a temporary python file through the R console.

Answer 1

You can use this package PythonInR

Answer 2

Make a python file....

# -*- coding: utf-8 -*-
"""
Created on Wed Mar  9 09:55:46 2016

@author: Subhash Jaini
"""

import pandas as pd
d = {'First' : [1., 2., 3.],'Second' : [1,2,3]}


AA = pd.DataFrame(d)
print(AA)

---

save it to a place (I used c:/deleteme/pythonRun.py)

In R, run this code.

#calls the python script to run in shell
BlobReturnedFromPython = shell('python c:/deleteme/pythonRun.py',intern=TRUE)
#get the first line and turn it to your header
HEADER = gsub(" ","",unlist(strsplit(as.character(BlobReturnedFromPython[1]),"  ")))[-1]
#all the rest of the data is non header data
NONHEADER = BlobReturnedFromPython[2:(length(BlobReturnedFromPython)-1)]
#turnthat blob (which is seperated by about 4 spaces )
DATA = data.frame(sapply(NONHEADER,function(x){unlist(strsplit(x,"    "))}))
#brings those names into the data set
names(DATA) <- HEADER
DATA    

Answer 3

I have found a solution that might actually work on a Windows OS:

http://gallery.rcpp.org/articles/rcpp-python/

The article describes a setup for Ubuntu, where Rcpp is used as an intermediate layer between R and Python. Although I have not tried that yet, I currently see no reason why this solution should not work on Windows as well.

Answer 4

If you are looking for calling python from R then try rPython but it isn't for windows OS. Or try RSPython has a weak support for windows. An other useful link.

At last you can try to use something like Cygwin to execute linux application on your windows OS. More work load will be to use some virtual environments like VMware or VirtualBox on windows and install linux and carry out your work.