How to Call a Python Script from R

Integrating Python scripts into R workflows can significantly enhance your data analysis capabilities. Whether you're leveraging Python's machine learning libraries or its advanced data manipulation tools, calling Python from R is easier than you might think. In this guide, we'll explore the most popular and efficient methods to achieve this.

Why Call Python from R?

R and Python are both powerful languages for data science, but each has unique strengths. By combining them, you can:

• Use Python's pandas or scikit-learn within an R environment.
• Run specialised Python scripts without switching tools.
• Leverage R's visualisation libraries (like ggplot2) with Python's data processing.

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Method 1: Using the reticulate Package

The reticulate package is the most popular and widely used method for integrating Python into R. It provides seamless interoperability between the two languages.

Step 1: Install and Load reticulate

First, install the package from CRAN and load it into your R session:

install.packages("reticulate")
library(reticulate)

Step 2: Configure Python Environment

Ensure R detects your Python installation:

use_python("/path/to/your/python")  # Specify Python path if needed

Step 3: Call Python Script

Use source_python() to run a Python script directly:

source_python("your_script.py")

Alternatively, execute Python code inline:

py_run_string("print('Hello from Python!')")

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Method 2: Using System Calls

If you prefer a simpler approach, you can call Python scripts via R's system() function:

system("python your_script.py", intern = TRUE)

Note: This method is less flexible but works well for standalone scripts.

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Best Practices

• Use reticulate for complex integrations.
• Ensure Python and R use compatible data types (e.g., convert Pandas DataFrames to R data frames).
• Test scripts in isolation before integrating them.

Keywords: Call Python from R, R and Python integration, reticulate package, run Python script in R, data science workflows, R Python interoperability.

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