OpenCPU is a software framework for embedded statistical computation and reproducible research. The server exposes a web API interfacing R, Latex and Pandoc.
OpenCPU provides a REST API to the R computing language. One of the goals is to be able to embed R functionality in scalable systems and web applications, without requiring the user or system to install R.
OpenCPU deals with some of the technicalities that come with R and statistical computing, so that you can focus on your application. Furthermore, OpenCPU implements the concept of Open Computing. In a nutshell this comes down to the following:
Any client can execute arbitrary R code on an OpenCPU server. All R code on the server is by definition Open Source, and readable by anyone. When you publish your own code on the server, it authomatically becomes Open Source. A helpful UNIX analogy is that you have at least r-x privileges on anything on the system, and you rwx in your home directory.
We can mention the two sides of opencpu:
- On the server side, opencpu serves R packages
- On the front end side, opencpu is also a js library to interact with the REST API
