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I am trying to create an icon on my desktop (Windows OS). By clicking on this icon, an R script will be executed, which launches a GUI application (gWidgets).

Paul Hiemstra
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SilverSpoon
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4 Answers4

5

Read the help file ?Startup for details on what R goes through in the startup process and how you can automate running code.

I have done things like this for clients where I create a GUI for a specific demonstration (I use tcltk, but all should work the same). I created a desktop shortcut for them and modified the shortcut to start in a specific folder (but run the standard Rgui program), then in that folder I save a .Rdata file with all the code and data that the demo needs along with a function named .First that starts the demo.

Then the client does not need to know anything about R, just double click the shortcut and R starts and my demo starts automatically for them, they enter some numbers, click some options, slide some sliders, etc. and click on "OK" to see a graph or other output customized to their situation.

Greg Snow
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    Thank you. This method is now more elaborately written [here](http://drunks-and-lampposts.com/2012/06/18/r-creating-a-shortcut-to-run-a-gwidgets-gui/) and [here](http://4dpiecharts.com/2012/07/20/look-ma-no-typing-autorunning-code-on-r-startup/). – Stéphane Laurent Jul 11 '14 at 09:48
3

I think your looking for a batch file to launch a file ?

if so check this out, this comment lists how to do it in command prompt, turn that into a batch file.

https://stat.ethz.ch/pipermail/r-help/2002-March/019950.html

Simon McLoughlin
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    I have tried R CMD BATCH but my file is a GUI with gWidgets objects and window. This command doesnt open the GUI. – SilverSpoon Apr 25 '12 at 09:17
  • A batch file or windows script file can easily replace your default `.Rprofile` file with one of your choice which contains a command to `source` anything you want (this file executes automatically when R starts up). Your comment that your "file is a GUI" is unclear. Your file *initiates* a GUI. If `source(abc.R)` works at the console, but not under batch, then it probably means you need to load required libraries before sourcing the file. – Carl Witthoft Apr 25 '12 at 11:11
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    ive tried running a .bat file to do Rscript.exe E:\test.R. Getting back the error: Loading required package: gWidgets Loading required package: methods Error in function (classes, fdef, mtable) : unable to find an inherited method for function ".gwindow", for signature "NUL L" Calls: gwindow -> .gwindow -> Execution halted – SilverSpoon Apr 27 '12 at 10:25
2

Have you tried using the RScript command? I don't know how it works on Windows, but in Linux I would do something like:

Rscript --vanilla -e 'source("abc.R")'
Paul Hiemstra
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FrankD
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1

A basic version of this I've done in Windows 7 is;

  1. locate RScript.exe (e.g. C:\Users\USERNAME\Documents\R\R-3.3.2\bin\x64\RScript.exe)
  2. right click and select 'Pin to Taskbar'

The R icon should appear on the taskbar at the bottom of your screen

  1. find your script (e.g. C:\Users\USERNAME\Documents\MyScript.R) and drag this onto the R icon on the taskbar
  2. right-click the icon, 'MyScript' should be pinned there.
  3. click 'MyScript' to run the script.
Titus Buckworth
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