R as unix filter

Rf' allows unix script programmers to use the statistics program R' as a proper unix filter.

Basically, Rf allows you to write a little sh-bang script (included in this distribution as file `mean'):

#!/usr/local/bin/Rf

x <- scan(.stdin, quiet=T) 
cat (mean(x))

This example script reads number in from stdin (the R character variable `.stdin') and prints the average on standard out. Thus, one could say on the command line:

$ seq 10 | mean

Installation

This first version assumes the following:

* `r-as-filter' installed in /usr/local/lib
* `Rf' installed in /usr/local/bin

Note that you may install Rf anywhere, but if you want to use it in shbang context (first line of `executable R script' starting with /usr/local/bin/Rf) then this should be a consistent location in order to make it more portable.

If you can't copy to /usr/local/lib, change the destination in `Rf.c'.

Make `Rf' by typing

$ make Rf

And then copy

$ install Rf /usr/local/bin
$ install r-as-filter /usr/local/lib

keywords: R, Rf, argv, stdin